Leaving the 99 for You

     
If you haven't heard the song "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury, let me recommend it to you right now. The message is as simple as it is complex. In our lives, it is easy to feel like you are going it alone. Your hardships, your isolation, or your situations create a sense of hopelessness for many people, it's just hard to believe that if God loves you why would He, the omnipotent, all knowing, all seeing God of Creation allow you to go through your crises alone? Well that's just it, you are not alone. In the Asbury's song, he pointedly provides a clear message to each of us:
"There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me"
This message is being delivered in the context of a parable Jesus shared with a group of people gathered in the streets. The parable shared was is best known as the "Parable of the Lost Sheep" and that is the subject of our Flat Tire Ministries time together this week.
     Keep this in mind, you are important. Your life matters, you have a purpose and God wants to see you fulfill that purpose. In our adversities and afflictions, we don't always feel that way, but we have an assurance that serves as a constant reminder that it is true! In His parable, Jesus shares a story about a shepherd and the one sheep from his flock that has wandered away from the comfort and security of his 99 buddies. Jesus says "surely, this shepherd would leave the 99 to go out and find the one that was lost."(Luke 15:4). That one little, lost sheep means that much to the shepherd, so much, that he would risk leaving his flock of 99 just to find the one. That one lost sheep is representative of each of us. Wherever we are, whatever our circumstance, we have an assurance that God sees our adversity and He is willing and able to help us in our times of need.
      There's a whole different lesson connected to this parable about being lost, but really what I am focusing on is the simple understanding that you are important. Not important because you are some type of celebrity in society, but you are important because you are a part of His flock. When you feel all alone, He is there with you. When you feel trapped, He is the key to your freedom, and when you feel like there is no hope, look to God for your assurance. God is there, he always has and always will be, it is us that has wandered away from our faith in His ability to meet our needs and heal our afflictions.
      There's no mountain He won't climb up, there's no shadow too dark that He can't light up, and there are no walls or lies that Jesus can't overcome in our times of need. We must only remember that God's plan will be fulfilled. He wants us to carry out our role in His plans, but at the end of the day, His plan will be fulfilled. We are important, we have a duty that we are called to complete, and it is up to us to fulfill our purpose in this life we have been given to live.
     At one point in the song "Reckless Love" the chorus starts in a low reassuring manner, and then  repeated several times culminating in a proud declaration of God's love for us. My prayer for you today is that in all situations, under all circumstances, you in the same manner as this powerful song, allow God's love to grow in your hardships and become more robust in your time of need. He will leave the 99 for the one, and that one is YOU!
Coach Carter