Joy in Heaven

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! Luke 15:4-7

Celebrate 

One-two-three-four-five-----96-97-98-99…where is number 100? It was the custom for the shepherd to count his sheep as the flock came into the sheepfold for the evening. Where is 100? The shepherd goes to search for that lost one—it is just as important as each of the other sheep. It seems to me that he is very trusting to leave the other 99 sheep just in the wilderness—but remember they are in the sheepfold. Did he leave his sheepdog to guard them? No worries—they’ll stick together. It is for that one out there by itself that he is concerned. Is it stuck in a ravine somewhere…or carried away by swift water in a wadi? Sometimes sheep can’t turn themselves over if their fleece gets soaking wet and they fall onto their back. That is a lot of “ifs” and those are the thoughts going through the shepherd’s mind as he sets out to find his lost sheep. There are wolves and lions out there in the wilderness so that shepherd need to find its sweet lamb before anything else does. Out he goes into the twilight…calling his lamb by name, whistling loudly. What’s that? He hears a familiar bleating. His lost lamb—caught in some spiny bushes. He pulls it free and places it around his neck, racing back to his sheepfold and to his family and neighbors. He announces he has found his lost sheep and it is time to celebrate! Jesus tells us in this parable that there is even more joy in heaven when a sinner repents. Celebrating is a good thing to do—so help someone find Jesus The lost one is found…and joyously celebrate with them.

Prayer ~ Jesus…like the father of the prodigal son—we celebrate those who turn to You—those who learn to trust and rely on You—for You are the way, the truth, and the life. It is time to celebrate.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 13-15

© 2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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