Have you ever felt far from God—like you wandered too far, failed too deeply, or simply got lost along the way? This blog post is for you. It’s about a good Shepherd who never gives up. A good Shepherd who seeks, finds, and rejoices over the ‘one’.
The lost sheep
The sun was setting over the hills of Judea. The golden light stretched across the valley, casting long shadows of a small flock of sheep grazing under the watchful eyes of their shepherd. He counted them one by one as he always did at the end of the day — eyes trained on each of them, his heart attentive.
“Seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine…ninety-nine…” He paused.
His heart skipped.
“One’s missing.”
‘No!’ He said under his breath.
The shepherd knew each of them by name. This wasn’t just livestock—it was family. And the one that had wandered was the youngest. The smallest. Easily frightened. Easily distracted. The one who often strayed.
He didn’t shrug it off. He didn’t say, “Well, at least I’ve got ninety-nine safe ones.” No. He did not say ‘Well, that sheep is always too bothersome and always wandering away’. No. Instead, He grabbed his staff, left the flock in a secure place, and hastily ventured into the wild terrain with a heart full of love.
He searched through thorn bushes, climbed rocky paths, crossed streams. His voice called out into the night, echoing through the valleys: “Little one! Where are you?”
Hours passed. The shepherd’s hands bled, his feet ached, but his heart wouldn’t let him quit. Then—a faint cry. A soft bleat, caught in the thorns, trembling and afraid.
“I’ve got you,” the shepherd whispered as he lifted the lamb onto his shoulders. Relief and joy danced in his eyes. He didn’t scold. He didn’t shame. He rejoiced.
He walked back through the darkness, not with frustration, but singing. When he reached home, he called his neighbors: “Rejoice with me! I found the one that was lost!”
The good shepherd
This is the heart of Jesus.
In Luke 15:3-7 (NIV), Jesus says:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.”
This story is more than a parable—it’s a picture of God’s relentless love. Many of us, at one point or another, are that one lost sheep. Maybe we drifted due to distraction, hurt, shame, or sin. But the Shepherd never stops seeking us. He doesn’t give up after one call. He doesn’t write us off as too difficult or too broken.
Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up before He comes. He finds us in our mess and carries us with grace.
Psalm 23:1-3 reminds us:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures… He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
His pursuit isn’t rooted in duty—it’s fueled by love, grace and mercy.
He rejoices more over the one who returns than the ninety-nine who never strayed. That’s not to diminish the faithful—it’s to magnify the depth of God’s mercy. It’s not about deserving; it’s about belonging.
Whether you’re the faithful sheep in the fold or the one tangled in thorns, His heart is for you. His love is for you, he sees you and he cares deeply and truly about you. He came to lay down his life for you.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6-7). Yes, we have all chosen to do our own thing leading us astray. However, it’s time to return to the shepherd and overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, my Good Shepherd, thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for searching when I wander, for calling out when I go silent, and for lifting me up when I’m too weak to walk. Remind me daily that I am deeply loved—not for what I do, but for who I am in You. Teach me to hear Your voice and follow Your lead. And for those still lost or hurting, let them feel Your presence pursuing them, even now. In Your mercy, draw every lost sheep back into Your arms. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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