Acorns, noodles, rocks, puff balls…all are fun to move from one container to the next. In recent weeks my daughter has found pure joy in dumping one container of noodles into the next.
Still working on her coordination often times a few noodles fall alongside the container. Immediately she stops to pick the “lost” ones up before continuing.
Similar to the noodles I watched her one day play this game with acorns. The acorns had a tendency to roll away when they hit the ground. They would slide under furniture however she always noticed. My daughter noticed when just ONE was missing. Upon finding the “lost” she would drop it into the container and raise her hands together in a clap. One acorn mattered. One acorn being found produced expressions of glee.
As I sat observing her my thoughts floated to the story Jesus told in Luke of the lost sheep. He explained how a shepherd would leave his ninety-nine to gather the one wandering, lost sheep. When the man gathers that sheep he will rejoice with his friends and neighbors. This parallels to how God rejoices over one sinner who repents and returns to Him.
God notices each soul in a way similar to my one-year-old daughter noticing every noodle or acorn. One lost noodle is important. Worth searching for. One wandering sheep is important. Worth leaving 99 for. One soul is worth pursuing. One soul brought home is worth a joyful celebration.
Somedays it is challenging to believe, to see how valuable we are in God’s eyes. Somedays it difficult to believe your loved one is worth the continual seeking after. One soul. One soul is worth more to God than we can comprehend.
One soul. Every soul He loves unconditionally…forever and always.
God is seeking the lost. If you are among the lost, surrender. If you are found…pray for the lost, seek the lost.
One soul. Every soul. He rejoices over…
Luke 15:3-7 So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! NLT
Luke 15:8-10 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” NLT
Luke 15:32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” NLT
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ESV
Ezekial 34:11-12 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness….” ESV
