Day 34
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
—LUKE 15:3-7
God’s love is a pursuing kind of love. Many of us imagine God as standing far off, arms crossed, brow furrowed, tapping His foot, waiting for us to come to Him. The truth of God’s love however is that it is always reaching out for us, always pursu- ing us. He stands at the door of my heart and yours, knock- ing, waiting for an invitation to come in (Revelation 3:20).
God’s love searches for us, remembers us, rescues us.
Jesus told many stories, like the lost son (Luke 15:11–3), the lost coin (Luke 15:8–10), and the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12–14, Luke 15:3–7) to help us understand that God’s love beckons to us, remembers us, searches for us, rescues us. And with His life He told the greatest story of all: He left a paradise, became a baby, went to a cross, all to save us. If anyone ever asks you how you know that God is good, point them to the cross.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
—2 CORINTHIANS 5:21
In the cross, we see God’s verdict on sin (He has no sin in Him, He cannot look upon sin; it separates us from Him) and His love for us (His death removed the barrier; He made a way for us).
RECKLESS LOVE
by Cory Ashbury
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me There’s no shadow You won’t light up Mountain You won’t climb up Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
PRAYER: Jesus, there are some shadows in my life I need you to light up, some walls I need you to kick down, some lies I need you to tear down. Forgive me for the times I give up on You and thank You for never giving up on me. Thank you most of all for your reckless, pursuing, rescuing love for me.
