Day 3 - Issue 27
Luke 15:6-7 NLT
'When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbours, saying, “Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.” In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!'
I’m uncertain if it’s to do with age, but when young I wanted to be part of ‘the crowd’. Here a lively church context suited me. We worshiped, studied and spent a lot of social time together. There was a straight answer for all of life’s many questions, and with great passion and confidence I firmly held to these answers. Of course, my life’s ship had hardly left port. I knew little of the sound and fury of the open sea.
That simplicity has been overshadowed by observing the complexity of much of life, both my own and the many lives I encounter. My initial reaction was to work at fitting all of life into my sure and certain world view. This was exhausting and proved impossible.
Here Jesus found me again and gathered me up. I recovered my simple faith in God and was able to let go of the many complexities that my mind was unable to hold together. Why was it I had this inner compulsion to make sense of the world? Why was Jesus not enough?
I repented of my lack of confidence in God, which is the source of all sin. I entertained anxiety and fear about the way ahead, the sense my life made in the general scheme of things, the provision I feared I lacked.
God found and opened my eyes to see that I was stressing over unnecessary scenarios, all the product of my own active mind. Such circumstances might or might not happen; all I could do was live in the present moment and focus on my friendship with God. I belonged, although now that belonging wasn’t expressed through the external activity of my active faith. It was realised through my simple acceptance and confidence in God.
QUESTION: Is Jesus really enough for you? What might you need to repent of?
PRAYER: God, my Good Shepherd, thank you for finding me when I was lost, and keeping me safe in your arms.
