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Feb 07, 2023 06:00am

Finding Jesus: When We Wander

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(The following is a family devotional guide with suggested questions and scripture.)

Talk Time

Have you ever gotten lost? What did that feel like? Or, what would you imagine it to feel like?

Have you ever lost something valuable? What would you do if you lost $100? How much time would you invest searching for it?

What do you know about sheep?

Bible Connection

In the Bible, God draws an analogy from His people to sheep. As strange as that sounds, we can actually be a lot alike. We both need leadership, a shepherd who guides and protects us. We are both susceptible to getting lost – whether it’s out of curiosity, in search of food, or just plain not paying attention. We are also prone to flee when we sense a dangerous situation. Sometimes, we make bad decisions. Sometimes, we follow the wrong leaders, instead of the shepherd. And other times, we can be rebellious. But the strongest similarity is this: we are stronger with a community. For a sheep, the community offers safety and protection. For a person, a family of believers (like a church) can help protect us through prayer or guide us when we stray or get lost in life.

As you learned, sheep (and people) can get lost for all sorts of reasons.

If you were the Shepherd, would you leave all of your sheep to go after the one who got lost?

Read Luke 15:3-7. Focus on how the Shepherd reacts to His lost sheep.

The shepherd left his 99 sheep in safety and went after the one. That is how valuable the one was to him. Letting the sheep go wasn’t an option. What a beautiful parable that shows the shepherd’s love and rescue. What a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, His sheep. No matter the reason that causes us to wander in life, we have a Good Shepherd who will come after us. Sometimes, He puts people in our lives to lead us back to Him. Sometimes, He lets life get hard to get our attention. And sometimes, He lets us feel scared and alone to draw us back to the safety of the others. God nudges us all sorts of ways to return to Him and His unconditional love!

This parable ends on a good note: one changed heart brings more joy in Heaven than 99 hearts that haven’t strayed away. We have a Good Shepherd who wants us to learn from our mistakes and repent so that we don’t spend our lives lost, making the same mistakes. He wants to take that bad decision and bring good from it.

Faith Connection

Many times in life, we will get distracted, wander, or make bad decisions. God allows these times to open our eyes to the safety and protection He, our Good Shepherd, offers us. He wants to draw us closer through repentance and a changed heart.

James 4:8 promises us if we draw near to God, He draws near to us.

The more we know God, our Good Shepherd, the more we can hear His voice. The more we hear our Shepherd’s voice, the closer we stay to Him. It’s a voice we can trust.