Devotional Thought: I AM THE ONE (Matthew 18, 12-14)
Jesus said to his disciples, “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
Lord Jesus, come to us in love. May our world be flooded with the grace and peace of your coming, and let us experience the fullness of your joy. Help us to live our lives to the full in this world and transform it with the hope of future glory.
I am the one. I am the sheep that went astray. I am the one for whom God put in place his marvelous redemptive plan of salvation. Millions of his sheep have gone astray since the Garden of Eden, but from the very beginning He had a plan to bring them back. At this time of year we celebrate the fulfillment of that plan with the birth of our Savior.
I am the one. I am the sheep that went astray and caused the Good Shepherd to leave his throne in heaven to search for me. He came into our broken world not just to find me, but to give me, and all the other lost sheep, a way back home. That would cost the Shepherd his life on a cross.
I am the one. I am the sheep that went astray. I caused havoc with God’s plan. Even though the events happened two thousand years ago, I am the one who put Jesus on the cross. How can that be? Because just as the parable says, the Father is not willing that one be lost. So if I had been the only sheep, He would still have done it all, just for me. That is the loving, personal God we celebrate this Advent season.
Savior, like a shepherd lead us safely in our world today. Help us spread peace and extend our hands to help other lost sheep back into your fold with joy. Lead us home to you.
From the dawn of time, God has had a plan of salvation.
Co-Authors:
Dr. Jerry W. Storz, NBC Leadership & Ethics and Christian Educational
Ministries Director
Judy Ballou, Author
Published: 12/05/2018
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