January 17: Accepting His Love.
HIS INITIATIVE.
"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not...go after the one which is lost until he finds it?"--Luke 15:4
While going through rough times, I once received an encouraging card. The statement on the front caught my attention: "All you need is another card telling you to hang in there...." Yep, that's all I need, I thought, as my eyes settled on a little lamb, with sweat dripping from its brow, holding fast to something that wasn't visible on the cover. I opened the card to read the message inside, which has stayed with me until now: "I want to tell you that you are SAFE in His grip; and He is not going to let you go." A strong hand was holding the little lamb.
We've all read books and heard sermons that emphasize our seeking after God, our perseverance, our strength, our hanging in during the storm and not letting go when we find ourselves at our wit's end. But, as important as all these things are, the Bible's major emphasis is on God seeking after us, His initiative to go after what was lost, the strength of His grip, and His hanging on to us when we are weak and exhausted. Our God is a passionate and loving God, who is eager and able to initiate action to find us, and who safely holds us in His grip. He is a loving Parent, who pursues us with His goodness and grace all the days of our lives (see Psalm 23:6). The parent's grip on the child is the child's security. When the Pharisees and scribes are grumbling because Jesus is receiving sinners (Luke 15:2), the first parable that Jesus tells them is about a shepherd who goes after a lost sheep until He finds it (verse 4). Once he has found it, He lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing! (verse 5). God has loved us before we loved Him; our love for Him is only a response to His infinite love for us (1 John 4:19). His initiative is our response. He is the Shepherd who desperately searches for the lost sheep. "For thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day' " (Ezekiel 34:11, 12). Thank you, Lord!
My Response:______________________________________________
HIS INITIATIVE.
"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not...go after the one which is lost until he finds it?"--Luke 15:4
While going through rough times, I once received an encouraging card. The statement on the front caught my attention: "All you need is another card telling you to hang in there...." Yep, that's all I need, I thought, as my eyes settled on a little lamb, with sweat dripping from its brow, holding fast to something that wasn't visible on the cover. I opened the card to read the message inside, which has stayed with me until now: "I want to tell you that you are SAFE in His grip; and He is not going to let you go." A strong hand was holding the little lamb.
We've all read books and heard sermons that emphasize our seeking after God, our perseverance, our strength, our hanging in during the storm and not letting go when we find ourselves at our wit's end. But, as important as all these things are, the Bible's major emphasis is on God seeking after us, His initiative to go after what was lost, the strength of His grip, and His hanging on to us when we are weak and exhausted. Our God is a passionate and loving God, who is eager and able to initiate action to find us, and who safely holds us in His grip. He is a loving Parent, who pursues us with His goodness and grace all the days of our lives (see Psalm 23:6). The parent's grip on the child is the child's security. When the Pharisees and scribes are grumbling because Jesus is receiving sinners (Luke 15:2), the first parable that Jesus tells them is about a shepherd who goes after a lost sheep until He finds it (verse 4). Once he has found it, He lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing! (verse 5). God has loved us before we loved Him; our love for Him is only a response to His infinite love for us (1 John 4:19). His initiative is our response. He is the Shepherd who desperately searches for the lost sheep. "For thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day' " (Ezekiel 34:11, 12). Thank you, Lord!
My Response:______________________________________________
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