Luke 15:1-7 | Psalm 23
If the Lord is indeed like a shepherd, looking after us in nurture and care, and then also chasing after us when we’re lost…what more could we need?
Like the psalmist says:
I lack nothing.
It’s not about possessions or wealth or status. It’s about the favor of a loving God.
That’s really hard to accept for a lot of people. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s hard to believe.
But belief is the beginning of its acceptance. Faith, indeed.
Luke 15:1-7
All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
he keeps me alive.
He guides me in proper paths
for the sake of his good name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger because you are with me.
Your rod and your staff—
they protect me.
You set a table for me
right in front of my enemies.
You bathe my head in oil;
my cup is so full it spills over!
Yes, goodness and faithful love
will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the Lord’s house
as long as I live.
Prayer
God,
Thank you for seeking me out. It’s one amazing thing to think that when I turn to you in prayer and need, there you are, ready to respond. It’s a whole other thing to think that you were looking after me in the first place. Honestly, it’s hard to comprehend.
But I’ll take it.
Help me today to be the recipient of your care and nurture. I know that benefitting from your divine love requires my acceptance. And I want to.
So help me, God.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.