HE WANTS EVERYONE
Sarah Sloan
Today’s Scripture: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.” Matthew 18:12-13, ESV
Theme: The Father desires for every one of His lost children to be saved.
THE HEART OF GOD
The heart of God is never indifferent toward the lost. If we want to have a heart like His, we must love what He loves and hate what He hates. And God loves the lost soul; He longs for the prodigal son or daughter. Jesus tells us plainly that when one lone soul wanders, God doesn’t shake His head and say, “Well, at least I have ninety-nine others.” No. He goes. He searches. He rescues. And when He finds that one lost sheep, He rejoices.
THE DOOR WORKS BOTH WAYS
This image is mirrored in Jesus Revolution, when Pastor Chuck Smith is faced with a choice: either he can keep his church comfortable for the faithful few or he can open the doors to a generation of searching and hurting people. Many of the church’s members were disturbed by the presence of “shoeless hippies,” but Chuck’s heart became like the Father’s. He welcomed the outsiders, the wanderers—the ones most people had given up on. And when he said, “the door works both ways,” it was more than a cliche—it was a call to grace over tradition, love over comfort.
Make It Personal: Is Pastor Chuck’s decision to welcome the hippies an image of the prodigal son and his older brother? Absolutely. And it forces us to ask: Who would I be in this scenario? Am I a stodgy church member, unwilling to love? Am I the prodigal son or the bitter, resentful older brother? Can I rejoice wholeheartedly when the lost are found, or do I struggle to show grace to people who I believe are undeserving of it? Am I willing to leave my place among the “ninety-nine” to pursue a lost soul? How far am I willing to go for the lost soul? Does comfort, tradition, bitterness, or judgment hold me back? Pray and ask God to soften your heart. Let Him give you eyes to see people the way He sees them—beloved, worth pursuing, and worth celebrating when they return home.
Read: Luke 15:11–32; Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 2:3-6
Pray: Father, thank You for searching for me. I am returning to You now. Thank You for rejoicing when I return to You. Forgive me when I’ve been more like the older brother—bitter, proud, and unwilling to celebrate when You extend this same grace to others. Make my heart like Yours and help me to love like You love. Give me the courage to leave the 99, to welcome the outsider, and to rejoice deeply when even one lost soul comes home. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Weekly Memory Verse: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11, ESV