LOST AND FOUND
Luke 15:3-7
So He told them this parable, saying, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
For several years we ran hunts on a friend’s ranch in the Missouri River breaks of Southern South Dakota. It’s beautiful and rough country and it is an easy place to get lost in the tangled jungle of canyons, cedar, assorted brush and wild grape vines. It is amazingly picturesque but could be terribly dangerous at the same time. In the dark it could be deadly.
This time of the year the ranchers are in the process of gathering in their cattle from large expansive pastures where they can be very hard to find. Day after day they search for each animal until all are brought in to be counted and sorted.
The owners, Rich and Sara, love these cows, calves and bulls and dedicate their lives to caring for them. I recall one occasion when an orphaned calf came up missing and Sara searched diligently for him. Each day she put out feed for him to try to draw him back home. She would travel by horseback and in her Honda utv back into the river bottom canyons and dangles in search of him. With several hundred cattle in the hills to gather it would seem futile to put so much effort into just one, but she wouldn’t rest until she found and recovered him. Each day we looked for him as well and reported back.
Finally, after several days, one evening we got a message from Sara letting us know that she had found her one last calf. She was overjoyed to have brought him home where he was safe and sound.
What an awesome example of what Christ does for each of His children. We were lost but He searches us out until we come back to Him… eternally safe and sound. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
God never gives up on us, He continually attempts to bring us back to Him. Without the relationship with Christ we would be like an orphaned calf lost in the rough country, going into the winter… there would be no hope. But when Christ searches us out and continues His attempts to bring us home to Him, all we have to do is follow. We only have to accept His gift.
Rich and Sara love their cattle and will sacrifice much to make sure they are safe. God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His very Son, His only Son, so that we might come to that relationship and an assurance and promise of eternal life.
Often I would see Sara coming up out of a rough piece of Missouri River bottom being followed by several cows and calves. She would have a bucket of food they liked and they wanted what she had to offer and they accepted it from her. God is offering all that will come to Jesus an eternal life with Him and the rest of those that have accepted His gift.
In Luke 15:22-24 we read of the prodigal son who had gone away and after a long time returned to the father. There was great celebration. That’s the way it is when one person turns back to God.
But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let’s eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:22-24)
Have you followed Jesus to the safety of His love?
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Make sure to tune into God’s Great Outdoors Radio or the Trail To Adventure podcast this week.
We’ll be on a deer hunt with some young hunters and listen to some great guitar playing and singing. Don’t miss it.
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