I love God because He cares for, loves, forgives, secures, rescues, and covers me with the grace and mercy. I’m so grateful He does not treat me as my sins deserve.
One of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 18:10-14, the parable of the wandering sheep. In short, a sheep wandered off, and the shepherd left the 99 to look for the 1. Can I be honest? Sometimes I wander off. I get distracted by the things that are not going well in my life. When I wander, I tend to leave the light and get caught up in mayhem. In my mother’s words, you went down the rabbit hole. It causes me agony and despair, full of fear and worry, all because I wandered off.
Honestly, we all wander at some point and there are many reasons that may cause you to wander off. It could be your job, your marriage, your children, or even your career. I call it the adult temper tantrum.
But I am grateful for a Father who leaves the 99 and comes looking for me. I am inclined to believe that when I have these moments of vulnerability, the Father dispatches His angels, saying, “Go get her.” Those angels come to rescue me and pull me from the muck and mire clay of life, unstuck me, and lead me back to the light. When I fail and fall short of God’s glory, He dispatches His angels saying, “Go get her”. When I am tired and weary, He dispatches His angels, saying “God get her”. When I am ready to give up and give in, He dispatches His angels, saying, “Go get her.” When I am prepared to make bad decisions that I know I will later regret, He dispatches His angels, saying, “Go get her”. When I leave the light and start dancing with the enemy, God dispatches His angels, saying, “Go get her.”
God is always on guard for our lives, even when we wander off and leave the light. Luke 22:31-32 says, “And the Lord said, Simon Simon, behold the satan desires to have you and sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fails not.” Sometimes, I will replace Simon’s name with my name. I’m so grateful that God prays for me that my faith fails not.
Sometimes, we wander, stumble, and even fall sometimes, but God has angels for that. Angels who will come looking for us to help us. Friends, be encouraged by knowing you have a God who shepherds you and comes looking for you, too, when you wander off. You are not alone. We are tethered to a Great Father, a Good Shepherd who cares. The Lord is always kind!
Be encouraged; blessings flow!