Luke 15

I'm watching a message by Christine Caine called Obsessed. She is doing a powerfully good job showing us that God is obsessed with the lost. And she pointed out something about these three stories that I had never considered at all.

How did the sheep get lost? It wasn't baad. (sorry) It was probably just distracted and preoccupied with something like green grass or tasty flowers or something and wandered off. It didn't mean to get lost. It wasn't running away. Sheep flock by nature. The shepherd had a rod and staff but he didn't beat the sheep with them, he used them to rescue the lost sheep. He became obsessed with that one lost sheep to the point that he was willing to leave the 99 others to find it.

How did the coin get lost? It was obviously not the coin's fault. Someone was careless with it. Someone lost it. How many people in the world are lost because people have been careless with their lives. Unloved.Unvalued. Uncherished. The woman though realized her mistake and became obsessed with the lost coin. She cleaned and worked until she found it.

How did the son get lost? Well, yes he made a lot of bad choices. But he didn't intend to end up in the pigpen. Fundamentally he misjudged the goodness of his father. He miscalculated. He thought that life without the father would be better than life in his father's house. And his father remained obsessed looking for his lost son on the horizon every day until he found his way back.

So I will meditate about this today. Am I obsessed with the lost? Do I look upon the lost with mercy or judgement? Am I willing to get closer to God by hanging out with Him doing something He's really obsessed about? How will I get obsessed about doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God seeking and saving the lost?