Several weeks ago in the middle of March when the weather was throwing random snow squalls that whited out nearly everything in sight, a neighbor was riding his ATV up and down the roads, bundled up in his Carhart’s and gloves. He was desperately in search of his lost dog.
Sunday night, March 24th, I had gotten home way ahead of my wife. It was a little after nine when she called and said she had found a stray dog wandering on CR 19. She could see that it had tags, but it wouldn’t come to her. She was following it with her four-ways flashing. Guess who got to go outside in the cold and coax the dog.
We spent the next 45 minutes going up and down the road, stopping at neighbors, trying to find the home for this odorous mutt. Without success, one of our neighbors had a large cage and took the dog in for the night. I had held the dog the entire time – a dog that smelled as if it had rolled in a number of things that had long since expired. My clothes went instantly into the washing machine, and it took another day to get the stench out of my nose.
Next morning, my wife talked with one of the neighbors and found out that the dog belonged to his elderly grandmother-in-law. The dog and owner were reunited. End of story but NOT the end of the devotional.
Today is National Lost Dog Awareness Day. I must say that I grumble and growl about having to pay for a dog license for our INDOOR dog. However, the lost dog we found had the same tags as our dog – rabies vaccination and county dog tags, all with their numbers visible. If we couldn’t figure out who owned the dog, the humane society or vet would have, just by the numbers. The lost would have been found.
Ohhhh, there we go! The segue into the devotional!
In Luke 15, Jesus taught about a lost sheep, coin, and son. All of these were to illustrate His desire to rescue those lost in sin and the joy that comes from finding that which was lost. In the first parable, Jesus said in Luke 15:4-7, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. (7) I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Middle Eastern shepherds were responsible to the owner of the sheep. You didn’t shrug your shoulders when a sheep was lost and say, “It’s only one.” You went in search of that lost sheep. And nothing is said about the sheep trying to find its way back home. Knowing the dumbness of sheep, it probably didn’t even realize it was lost!
Many in our world have no clue that they are lost and outside of Jesus. They are religious or self-assured that they are alright with God. Even worse, they may not even believe that there is a God to answer to, therefore they just live one day like the next without considering the eternity that is just around the corner.
Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Why must Jesus do this? Romans 3:10-12 tells us, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Are you lost? Are you like the lost sheep, wandering through life unaware of the danger you’re in and having no clue that you are “lost?” Are you like the lost dog we found, happily rolling in the filth of the world and feeling a taste of freedom, not realizing the stench of your sin?”
If so, Jesus is looking for YOU. Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “… The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Do that today!
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
