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! Luke 15:3-7 
Sheep in Israel.
The shepherd is out looking for the lost one.
Meditate
on sheep and The Shepherd.
Read
Psalm 119, where you will find a comforting plea that David made to the Lord.
I have wandered away like a lost
sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. Psalm 119:176
Find me! Do
you sometimes feel like a lost sheep, too? More is written by the prophet
Ezekiel about lost sheep, the Israelites, God’s chosen people. God will care
for His sheep. As believers, we are now part of His flock, too.
As surely as I live, says the
Sovereign LORD, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every
wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn't search for my sheep
when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve.
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. ... For this is what the
Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a
shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them
from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I
will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples
and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and
in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on
the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed
in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a
place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. Ezekiel 34:8-9, 11-15
The
Israelites are compared with sheep in the prophesies from God through Jeremiah.
My people have been lost sheep.
Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains.
They have lost their way and can't remember how to get back to the sheepfold.
... The Israelites are like sheep that have been scattered by lions. First the
king of Assyria ate them up. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cracked their
bones. Jeremiah
50:6, 17
God is
pictured as the great shepherd in the well-known Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I
have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside
peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will
not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and
comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor
me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your
goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will
live in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:1-6 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Consider
this parable that Jesus told in today’s focus scripture about a lost sheep and
the importance of that one sheep to the shepherd. He looks until He
finds it. God sees each of us as that one sheep…at some point in our lives. He
doesn’t want anyone to perish. This story is repeated in Matthew.
If a man has a hundred sheep and
one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine
others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he
finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the
ninety-nine that didn't wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly
Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14
Are you
ever like that lost sheep? Do you need God to find you? Call out to Him. If you
seek Him, you will find Him. David wisely wrote to his son, Solomon, about seeking
God. I take this to heart because it is such good advice.
And Solomon, my son, learn to know
the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole
heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan
and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he
will reject you forever. 1
Chronicles 28:9
What do
we learn about Jesus in this Scripture passage today?
Prayer
– Lord, I am seeking You, while I can find You. I’m calling on You now while
You are near. From Isaiah 55:6. You are my shepherd…I am following You. Lead me
in Your way…everlasting. Thank You. I praise You.
Verses
of Salvation ~ The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my
heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of
thanksgiving. The LORD gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his
anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead
them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. Psalm 28:7-9
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
Portions of this are reused from June 27, 2021, Banquet With
The King blog.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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