by Danny B. Smith, Purple Ark Ministries

© Copyright Reserved  january 9th 2009

Love for a Lost Sheep

"The mission of saving souls"

Luke 15: 1-7 "there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Devotional

I remember when I worked with a youth program as a gang counselor and team leader. . I recall working in Connecticut under a grant to help trouble youth. I recall making a tour around the community center to get all the youth to come inside for attendance. A group of kids that had gang ties resisted directions and attacked me as I came around the back of the center.

Love can make you commit to the craziest things. The passion to help will always overcome your fear. I really wanted to make a difference with the kids, but the anger in them made it hard to keep them together. I was injured during the attack. I went to an emergency room at a hospital nearby. After being stitched up, I return with the full determination and love to continue what I believe today was God's work. I believe that they did not attack me again mainly because they thought I had to be crazy to come back.

It hurts when you are rejected. It hurts when your love is not returned. The question for us today is how we can continue to pursue a wandering sheep. When family member wander off to find themselves, it is love that bring them home. It is God's love that makes us fearless and brave enough to too reach out to someone that is in trouble. It is God's love in us that bring us beyond pride and shame. It is God's love in each of us that bring us beyond the center of ourselves. It is God love in each of us that will that puts aside our DISLIKE and make us CHRISTLIKE.

Poem: "A Lost Sheep"

What do you pray when the sheep cannot hear?

How do we speak to them when they hide in fear?

Call them oh Lord, whisper sweet love to their ear.

What do you pray when the sheep will not rest?

How can we walk them through God's final test?

Call them Lord; you always know what is best.

Devotional Prayer

I pray this morning that God will give us strength to continue reaching out to a lost sheep. “Let us glorify God by loving inclusively and excepting the differences of others.”  Dear Father, teach us how to reach the lost sheep that you love so much.  Teach us how to be fishmen of new souls.  Send us dear Lord, Send us dear Lord!  Take us into the deeper water to claim the lost and forgotten. Teach us how to love the people we don't know.  In Jesus Name  Amen