TO CHEW ON: "For thus says the Lord God, 'Indeed, I Myself will search for My Sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they are scattered on a cloudy and dark day." Ezekiel 34:11-12
I think I have these verses underlined in all the Bibles that I use. It first came to my attention when I read it paraphrased in the prayer for rebellious and prodigal children in Barbara Billett's book Praying With Fire:
"...I thank You Father in the name of Jesus that You will search for ___ (name of child) and seek him/her out, as a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep. I think You Father in the Name of Jesus for seeking out ___ from where he/she has strayed and You are delivering him/her" - excerpt from "Prayer/Confession for a Rebellious Child," Praying With Fire, p. 62.
It reminds me of the story Jesus Himself told about looking for sheep:
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, 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! - Luke 15:4-7 NLT.How comforting to know that God Himself is concerned and goes after our prodigals.
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the picture of You as the seeking shepherd. May I be your instrument of seeking and finding as I love and pray my own and others' prodigals back to You. Amen.
MORE: Prodigal stories
"The Power of Two Praying Sisters and a Faithful God"
Stories at Prodigal Child Ministries
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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