The Good Shepherd

When I was about seven years old, my cat went missing. Having looked all around our property and failing to find it, I asked my mother to come with me to search further. We stopped at houses, knocked on doors, and walked up and down the street, calling the cat by name, but we couldn’t find it. The next day we tried again and then the day after. I was terribly upset but eventually had to accept that my cat was lost.

The story of the lost sheep in Luke 15 reminds me of my desperate search for my missing cat. Along with the lost sheep, the parables of the lost coin and the lost son are also recorded in Luke 15, and in each story, that which was lost is found. In his ministry, Jesus set out with purpose to find those who were lost and bring them back to the safety of the fold.

Jesus still seeks to bring us into his fold, to give us salvation and eternal life. We may fail to find that which is lost, but Jesus never fails to find us. When we faithfully pray for those who are lost or do not know Christ, we can trust Jesus to seek them and find them for the kingdom of God. Let us persevere in prayer and never give up trusting that the Lord will find what is lost.