November 13, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

"Which one of you, if you have a hundred sheep and lose one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? Or again, what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one will not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching thoroughly until she finds it?" (Luke 15:4)

In both the Parable of The Lost Sheep and the Parable of The Lost Coin, the owners look for their lost possession UNTIL THEY FIND IT. That’s who our God is as represented by Jesus. He doesn’t stop searching diligently for us until He finds us, just like He did with Adam and Eve. Even when we stray away, His love seeks us out and finds us. He is the Hound of Heaven whose goodness runs after us.

So who says sin separates us from God? It may try, but where it abounds, His grace abounds even more. Should we then just live in sin since His grace is inexhaustible? Of course not. Sheep may be dumb but not too dumb to want to stay in the ditch after falling into it. The prodigal son may have been momentarily blinded but eventually came to his senses and realized the pigpen is not a good place to be. Where they want to be is in the arms of their Good Shepherd, in the house of their loving Father. What about us? Where do we want to be?