By Dawne Cooper, Jubilee Church Wirral

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to go away for a few days to Somerset.

We were enjoying coming back from the cricket, along the winding lanes, when suddenly a loose sheep appeared in the middle of the road. Just as we were passing it, the farmer arrived in his jeep to come and rescue this wandering sheep.

It was a timely reminder of the parable of the lost sheep.

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Luke 15:1-7 ESV

There’s a few things we can take from this:

1. God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. You’re so important to Him, that He will leave the other 99 to come and find you. If you leave Him (like this sheep did in Somerset) and choose to live life your own way, He will follow you to the ends of the earth (like the Somerset farmer did.) He’ll stay by your side, no matter what. And quite amazingly, there’s nothing you can do that will stop Him from loving you!
2. You are always welcome to His kingdom! The second you stop running and turn to Him, He’ll open His arms and celebrate your return. As we watched this wandering sheep on our holiday, we noticed it start to head back towards the direction of the farmer. You could imagine the relief and joy of this farmer as his sheep was coming back to him. If a humble farmer would be feeling like this, how much more joy and celebration would your Father in heaven be feeling when you choose to tun to him?!

The last point I’d like to make on this is that God never gives up on you! Wow! Let me say that again… God never gives up on you! In a world where we’ve become so used to people giving up on us at the slightest inconvenience, this can be difficult to comprehend, but it’s so true. 

All you have to do is turn to Him and ask forgiveness. Here you will find God has mercy on you and this mercy endures forever.

Dawne Cooper, Jubilee Church Wirral