Matthew 18:11-12
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

What a panic-inducing feeling it is to get lost in some unfamiliar place, to keep making wrong turns and to feel so far from where we were trying to go.  It can be an equally panic-inducing feeling to lose something that is precious to us, whether it’s something we just can’t seem to find or something that slips away from us for good.  But perhaps nothing is worse than being lost spiritually, separated from God and condemned by our sins, for in that state we are just wandering through life with no hope of heaven, and we are living without the most precious thing of all.

But Jesus cares about lost people, and He came to save what was lost.  And better than any GPS, He can take us where we need to go.  Our destination is changed from a dead end to eternal life, and He Himself is the way to get there.  His whole purpose was to come and die for mankind so that we don’t have to be lost anymore.  He seeks what is lost to save, not to punish or condemn, but to gently pick them up and carry them to a safe place within His flock.  He comes to save us from that life of separation, to draw us near to Him, to cleanse us, forgive us, and mold us into His image.

So if Jesus cares about lost people, so should we.  Let’s not be a cause of driving people from Christ, but drawing them to Him.  Once we are part of the flock, we join Him on His search.  We are used as part of His plan to reach those still dying in their sins.  We speak truth and show love.  We tell others that once we were lost, but now we are found.  We pray for people.  And we rejoice when those lost ones come home.

Sin sent us scattered into the wilderness, but Jesus comes to tirelessly gather each and every one back to Himself.  He saves what is lost.  He redeems what is worthless.  He gathers what has been cast out.  We don’t have to keep wandering around hoping to stumble onto the right path.  We don’t have to make our way on our own.  He’s come for us because we can’t make it without Him.  He looks for us wherever we may roam.  And by His mercy, we can go from being lost to being so sure of our place in His family.