See that you don’t look down on these little ones, because I tell you that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, I assure you: He rejoices over that sheep more than over the 99 that did not go astray. In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:10-14 HCSB
Jesus came under a great deal of scrutiny by the Pharisees for associating with sinners. Here in verse 11, he clearly states, “For the Son of Man has come to save the lost.
If you are saved, you are precious to God. You are one of His children. You live in the peace, joy and comfort of being a child of God. You are tasked with sharing this with others in hopes of bringing them to God. God can leave you to go about the business of helping others while he searches for the one who is lost. It doesn’t mean you are abandoned by God, it simply means you are good to go out and serve Him by helping others.
“We are also precious to Him when we are lost. I think back to a time in my life when I was out there lost and doing things my way. I went to church but had little regard for Jesus. But I thank God that He was thinking of me.
He didn’t let me get away with my errant behavior. He showed me He didn’t tolerate my disobedience. He showed me how I would never truly have peace and joy without Him. When I wised up, he welcomed me with open arms.
The term lost refers to being unsaved or backslidden. Backslidden refers to those who have been saved but have slidden back into their old sinful behaviors. When we are lost, we may think we are out of sight and out of mind as far as God is concerned, but this is not true. We are special to God. He wants us to be His children.
Many people mistakenly think we are all God’s children, but this is not true. When we reject God, we are outside His family. Please understand, He doesn’t reject us we reject Him. While He does not tolerate sinful behavior, He still loves us and wants us to come to Him and be a part of His family.
We are told in John 1:12, “But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,”
God knew you before He formed you in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). In Matthew 10:30 we are told that God even knows how many hairs are on our heads. God knows everything about us, yet He loves us anyway.
We can find peace, joy and security in God’s family. In John 10, Jesus describes Himself as the good shepherd. In verses 14-15, He says I know My sheep and I lay down My life for My sheep.
In John 10:27-29, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.”
My friend you are very special to your Lord and Savior. He loves you and wants to give you eternal life. You must be willing to accept it. He knows you. He has always known you even before you existed. If you are lost, He’s wanting you to come home. He’s seeking you. Turn to Him today.
So, if someone should say, “Well, aren’t you special?” know that to Jesus you are very special.
Have a great day!