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cultural atheist

~ Rejecting the gods of our culture since 1998.

cultural atheist

Tag Archives: Sheep

The Warmth of His Heart

05 Friday May 2017

Posted by braddahr in Inspiration, Spirituality

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Christ's Object Lessons, Good News, healing, help, hope, Jesus, Rescue, Sheep, Shepherd

Have you ever felt a little lost? Have you even felt like you’ve wandered into places you never intended to go.  Check out this beautiful insight into a popular parable.
In the parable the shepherd goes out to search for one sheep—the very least that can be numbered. So if there had been but one lost soul, Christ would have died for that one.
The sheep that has strayed from the fold is the most helpless of all creatures. It must be sought for by the shepherd, for it cannot find its way back. So with the soul that has wandered away from God; he is as helpless as the lost sheep, and unless divine love had come to his rescue he could never find his way to God.
The shepherd who discovers that one of his sheep is missing does not look carelessly upon the flock that is safely housed, and say, “I have ninety and nine, and it will cost me too much trouble to go in search of the straying one. Let him come back, and I will open the door of the sheepfold, and let him in.” No; no sooner does the sheep go astray than the shepherd is filled with grief and anxiety. He counts and recounts the flock. When he is sure that one sheep is lost, he slumbers not. He leaves the ninety and nine within the fold, and goes in search of the straying sheep. The darker and more tempestuous the night and the more perilous the way, the greater is the shepherd’s anxiety and the more earnest his search. He makes every effort to find that one lost sheep.
With what relief he hears in the distance its first faint cry. Following the sound, he climbs the steepest heights, he goes to the very edge of the precipice, at the risk of his own life. Thus he searches, while the cry, growing fainter, tells him that his sheep is ready to die. At last his effort is rewarded; the lost is found. Then he does not scold it because it has caused him so much trouble. He does not drive it with a whip. He does not even try to lead it home. In his joy he takes the trembling creature upon his shoulders; if it is bruised and wounded, he gathers it in his arms, pressing it close to his bosom, that the warmth of his own heart may give it life. With gratitude that his search has not been in vain, he bears it back to the fold.
Thank God, He has presented to our imagination no picture of a sorrowful shepherd returning without the sheep. The parable does not speak of failure but of success and joy in the recovery. Here is the divine guarantee that not even one of the straying sheep of God’s fold is overlooked, not one is left unsuccored. Every one that will submit to be ransomed, Christ will rescue from the pit of corruption and from the briers of sin.
This excerpt is from page 188 of the devotional book, “Christ’s Object Lessons.”

Put Shame to Shame

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by braddahr in Inspiration, Spirituality

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

eating disorder, Love, recovery, Rescue, Shame, Sheep

If you can, check out this link and listen to the audio message. It’s a young person sharing their story about eating disorder recovery, redemption and seeing shame put to shame. It’s very powerful. Click the text below to get to the page.

“Is there anything you feel ashamed of? Your appearance, performance, or past mistakes? Discover how Jesus feels about you in your most embarrassing moments.”

 

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