“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 NKJV)
Dear Jesus, Thank You for being the Good Shepherd. When You told the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18, You didn’t focus on why the sheep got lost. You didn’t elaborate on what the sheep did while he was missing, or what kind of trouble he got into while he was gone. The singular focus of the parable was that the Shepherd went looking. The Shepherd didn’t give up on finding the sheep and bringing him back. The same is true for You. You said, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11). And because You are the Good Shepherd, You aren’t focused on what we’ve done, You simply want to save us and restore us to fellowship with You. You said in John 3:17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” And because of these truths, we don’t have to live defined by our past, but we can be hopeful of our future with You — our Good Shepherd. Thank You, Jesus, for never giving up. When I was lost, You found me. Thank You for loving me and saving me. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
