The Lost Sheep

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What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14

In this well-known parable Jesus told, the shepherd is God and the sheep are us. It shows us how much God cares for each and every one of us, and how important community is. 

Have you ever had a time in your life where you were following Jesus, but then you started having doubts, stopped praying, reading your Bible or going to church, and started living your life on your own? If you said yes, then you are like the lost sheep in the parable. 

If you know anything about sheep, you know that they need to be taken care of. If one of them wanders off from the group, it is in danger. They stay together to stay safe under the guard of the shepherd. 

As a Christian, it is dangerous to cut yourself off from other Christians and God. We need to be together with other Christians, reading the Bible and talking with God. That’s how we stay in the safety of the flock. When we set out on our own, we are more likely to fall prey to the dangers and temptations present in our world.   

Dig Deeper

Read John 15:4-7. This passage also shows the importance of staying connected with Jesus. We can’t glorify him with our lives otherwise. Take a look at your life. How do you stay connected to Jesus and other Christians to grow closer to the Lord? Do you need to put more effort into this area of your life? 
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