As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across Luke 15:3-7. I was given a specific prophetic word for someone I have not seen in about 25 years or so. The last time I saw her, she must have been about 5 years old. The Lord put her on my heart while reading that passage of scripture where the good shepherd left the 99 sheep to find the one who wandered away and got lost.
Sheep are by nature, herd animals and know that there is safety when they stay together, close to their shepherd, but, sometimes they wander off, not paying attention or get scared by a predator. Soon they are all alone, with no one to rescue them. They are left very vulnerable.
The good shepherd does not leave his sheep, but sometimes the sheep wander off from the shepherd and then blames the shepherd for not being there for them. When the shepherd calls for all the sheep to come in to the safety of the barn, sometimes the sheep is so far away that he/she can't hear the voice of the shepherd anymore. If the sheep is smart, he will go back home on his own, but, sometimes, the sheep is so lost that the shepherd has to come find him.
Do you hear the distant call of the good Shepherd or are you so far lost that He is going to have to come after you? If you are being stubborn or naughty, He will let you exhaust yourself until you finally give in and let him carry you back home over his shoulders, rejoicing all the way home.
Luke 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.