In a world filled with more information than ever before, and countless distractions, it is so easy to become lost in the shuffle; emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even physically. The reality is that we run away and make messes in this life that we cannot clean up. We are just like the famous lost sheep in Luke 15. But Jesus, full of grace and truth, allows the "tax collectors and sinners" to draw near, and dines with them at the table. The truth about the God of the universe is this: He loves you, He is on your side, He is coming after you, and He is relentless. Jesus, the Good Shepherd will leave the 99 righteous who need no repentance EVERY SINGLE TIME to find the one lost sheep. Thousands of years of biblical history agree that we are always the one runaway sheep and that we have never been the 99 who need no repentance. And yet, Jesus keeps running after us. Why? Well, the Bible is clear that we are his best work, very good (Gen 1), His Masterpiece (Eph. 2:10). He keeps running after us because we are His Masterpiece, the beloved. 

So, what do we do with this truth today? Well, we try harder, do better, read your bible and pray more! What!? That’s the opposite of the Gospel! We were dead in our sins and God made the ultimate sacrifice to make a way for us to be in relationship with him again. He did all the work, and there’s no level of work we could do to help our status. So, as hard as it is to believe, we simply receive the free gift. We ask God to find us an bring us back into the fold with the other sheep. 

1. Eugene Peterson likens the Christian walk to floating in a sea of grace. How can you “float in God’s grace” this week? No paddling. No work. Just floating in his goodness.
2. You are His Masterpiece. Try saying the following words to yourself or your kids before bed each night: God loves you. He is on your side. He is coming after you. He is relentless.