Corey Ashbury has written the popular worship called “Reckless Love” based on this passage of scripture. God will leave the ninety-nine to go and look for the one lost sheep. It is his take on how much God loves you. He is not willing to risk losing you. He wants you to know your incredible value to God
Luke 15:4
What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Loving Shepherd
Most of the people Jesus talked to owned sheep. They knew what it was like to care for them and what it took to keep them together. He used this analogy to tell the people how much God loved them. In their mind, God was a distant unloving God who had a lot of requirements. Jesus turned this thinking on its ear by showing that God would search out the one lost person even if it meant leaving the rest of the group.
Don’t Get Distracted
Humans, like sheep, are prone to get lost if left to themselves. We can get distracted and chase after something that catches our attention. Pretty soon we look around, and we are all alone. It’s at that moment we become aware of the dangers around us and how much trouble we are in. We have no resources to rescue ourselves and can only hope we are saved.
Subtle Temptation
This gives us a clue into how Satan works. He is subtle. His temptations are often clothed in very attractive distractions. They seem innocent enough at first, but before we can recognize its effect on us, we are trapped in its hold. Our shame and embarrassment only cause its grip to deepen when we don’t reach out for help.
Lost and Found
It is only through the love of a caring shepherd who searches us out can we be saved. He risks his safety to make sure that we are brought back into the fold. Jesus is telling us that if we are lost right now, he is searching for us. Cry out to him right now. Understand your incredible value to God.