THE JOY of BEING FOUND!

 

The Joy of Being Found

I want to explain one of the points I made on Sunday. I mentioned about God "showing favorites" and I just want to clarify. I DO NOT BELIEVE GOD SHOWS FAVORITES. My "problems" with the PARABLE of the LOST SHEEP were very much "tongue-in-cheek." As I reflected on that thought about God not celebrating us after we have turned to him, I just want to say, I FEEL CELEBRATED EVERY DAY. I feel God's grace is the greatest celebration party God could throw for me and the "NINETY-NINE." God is SO GOOD and he brings PARTY JOY into my life everyday, EVEN in the midst of conflict, turmoil, uncertainty, and the weight of life. As a matter of Fact, I am so humbled by his love, grace, and mercy, that I have dedicated my life to helping OTHERS FEEL A PART OF THAT SAME KIND OF EVERY DAY CELEBRATION. BEING FOUND BRINGS SUCH AMAZING RELIEF AND JOY. I PRAY EVERYONE GETS TO EXPERIENCE IT! 

My comments about God showing favorites is such a selfish way of looking at faith. Once I turned my life over to JESUS, it is no longer about ME, it is about HIM, THE SAVIOR of the WORLD! Praise God for the JOY of my salvation!

Imagine the relief of that lost sheep when it finally heard the shepherd's voice. Picture the moment when strong, gentle hands lifted it up and carried it home. Feel the safety and security of being held close to the one who never stopped searching. This is the joy of being found by God. It's not just relief - it's celebration. The parable tells us that the shepherd rejoices more over finding the one lost sheep than over the 99 that never wandered away. Heaven itself throws a party when someone comes home to God. But being found isn't the end of the story - it's the beginning of a new chapter. Once you've experienced the incredible love of the Good Shepherd, once you've felt the security of being carried in His arms, once you've known the joy of being welcomed home, something changes inside you. You begin to see others the way God sees them. You start to notice the lost sheep all around you - friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors who are wandering in the wilderness, looking for something they can't quite name. You realize that the same love that found you is available to them too. The shepherd doesn't find the lost sheep just to keep it safe - he finds it to restore it to the flock, to make it part of the community again. When God finds you, He doesn't just save you for your own sake. He saves you so you can be part of His mission to seek and save others who are still lost. Your story of being found becomes a beacon of hope for others who are still searching.

'All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.' - 2 Corinthians 5:18

How has your experience of being 'found' by God changed the way you see and interact with people who are still searching for meaning and purpose in their lives?

How much time do we spend REALLY PLANTING SEEDS that the LOVE, GRACE, and MERCY of Jesus are available to everyone? Do we EVER bring up Jesus in our conversations? Do we share how much CHRIST has done for US? 

Research tells us that the majority of non believers are curious about our faith. They want to know! if you put that in reference to this story, the lost sheep want to be found and we, often, ignore them.

Father, thank You for the joy of being found by You. Help me never to forget what it felt like to be lost, and use that memory to fuel my compassion for others who are still searching. Make me a beacon of hope. Amen.