Have you felt hidden and unseen? Even in a crowd of people we can feel that way.
In the Gospel of Matthew 18:12, Jesus shares a parable about a shepherd leaving behind 99 sheep to seek out the one that wandered away.
Just imagine, a vast landscape, a flock of sheep, and one that ventures into the unknown.
Now, think about that for a moment. Even when we feel hidden or not seen, God sees us. It’s like we’re his favorite treasure, and he won’t rest until he finds us. How awesome is that?
So, maybe you’re feeling a bit like that one sheep right now. Maybe you think nobody notices you or understands what you’re going through.
But here’s the truth – you’re not forgotten. God sees you, knows you, and loves you just the way you are.
It’s like having a friend who always has your back, even when things get tough. God’s love is like a big, warm blanket on a cold winter night. His love is always available when we seek Him.
In this story, we find not only an illustration of the divine relationship between God and humanity but also a grand reminder that even when we feel unseen or hidden, God perceives us individually and intimately.
The shepherd’s decision to leave the majority in pursuit of the one reflects the immeasurable value God places on each soul.
This value was so great that The Son of God left heaven, came to Earth to pay the debt of our sin – on the cross. This free gift of eternal life is available for the asking.
This passage in Matthew of God’s relentless pursuit of us, His creation, even when we may feel lost or overlooked. This profound truth holds the power to dispel the notion of insignificance that might cloud our hearts.
God’s love is so vast that it extends beyond the 99, beyond the crowd, to the singular, solitary soul. It’s a love that goes to great lengths to seek, find, and bring back that which has strayed.
Matthew 18
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. (NKJV)