Devotionals from my Bible app: The Unconditional Pursuit, A Call To Belong (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? 

Matthew 18:12, NKJV

Note before sharing the devotional: there are two parts to this parable. One is captured quite well in the devotional below, highlighting how God cares about us, reminding us that we once were that one sheep that had wandered off. To know God's beautiful yet reckless love that He would go to all lengths to pursue us when we've wandered off is one of the most powerful things. Although I grew up in the church, I wasn't saved until 2013. And even then, as a "baby Christian" (a common term for someone who received Jesus but is still very new to the faith and doesn't yet have the maturity that the Bible also calls for a person to develop over the course of time) I still wandered off into some deep ravines. To know that God loves me enough to leave the others and look for me in the ravine is wonderful and everything I needed at that time.

The second part is not captured in the below devotional, but was captured in the video portion of the devotional that YouVersion (my Bible app) provides: what about when there's someone in your life who is that one sheep that's gone astray? After all, Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34-35). You might have a reaction to the above question: resistance, anger, fear, shame, etc. I know I had a reaction! One of the things that God impressed on my heart some years back when I was wrestling with a key relationship that was, to put it mildly, disappointing, was that while Jesus did indeed die on a cross for my sins, He did the same for this other person that I was wrestling over while in prayer. Jesus died on a cross for your sins; He also died on a cross for the sins of your worst enemy. Yes, God is still a just God who will not let the wicked go unpunished, but He wants all a chance to come to repentance.

So, a challenge for me as much as it is for you: who in your life is God highlighting that may have walked away from Him that He wants to use you to help bring back to Him?

The Unconditional Pursuit: A Call To Belong.

Relentlessly pursuing Jesus? Wandered off the path from Jesus? On the fence about Jesus?

Here’s what’s true: You matter to Jesus. Yes, you.

There are no qualifications for God’s love and pursuit of you. You matter to Jesus; He calls you by name to come to Him, and He desires you to be with Him.

Reread those words: He desires you to be with Him. In Matthew 18:12, Jesus shares this parable:
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”

It’s not just a story; it's a reassuring reality of Jesus’ love and commitment to every single one of His own. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, never gives up on His sheep. Never. He diligently seeks out the one who wanders.

We all have moments when we feel like the wandering sheep. Sometimes, we feel like we’re straying off the path. But remember this: you are not forgotten, and you matter to Jesus. He cares for the one who has strayed just as much as He does the ninety-nine who stayed close (Matthew 18:13). So draw near to Him today.

Because no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, Jesus is seeking after you, calling you by name to not only follow Him but to be with Him.

How will you respond today?

https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.18.12.NKJV