Jesus told us a story about lost sheep. Here is His story:

A sheepherder performed a head count of his sheep and found that one of his lambs went missing. So he left the 99 sheep of his flock at the campsite and went looking for the lost lamb. High and low, he looked everywhere. Meanwhile the sun went down and it was almost dark when he finally discovered it. Profoundly relieved he carried the lamb home on his shoulders. As he went, He shared with all of his friends and family what had transpired, and everybody was glad to hear the good news.

I don’t know about you, but the ninety nine sheep left behind were always a puzzle to me. What if the shepherd later returns to the camp to find out that his other sheep took off in the meantime? With ninety nine sheep scattered, the crisis would have become even worse than before, with only one lamb gone astray – or maybe not? Jesus did not specify a number. Perhaps the story of one lost sheep in all reality is the story of one hundred lost sheep.

Humanity crossed a threshold a long time ago when we left the Garden of Eden; from that point forward we have striven to find our way back to Paradise, whether consciously or subconsciously. Unfortunately, there is a million ways we can get lost on the way, and this is where Jesus comes in. He is the Good Shepherd actively helping the lost – although He has a hard time finding certain strays that insist they are not lost.

Have you ever gone along for a ride and the driver of the car was overly confident? No asking for directions in the middle of a foggy night in a strange town … still driving in circles hours later – we know this driver is in denial.

Unfortunately we will stay lost when we are too arrogant to ask for directions; this is also true on a spiritual level. From the Lord’s point of view, He cannot help the proud. When we are humble enough to ask Him for help, Jesus will personally come to our rescue. Wherever we are, we are never too far gone that He can’t pick us up and bring us home.