Seeking

I went with my daughters and my grandchildren to a pumpkin farm yesterday. It was a beautiful day…just a touch too warm, but the sun was shining and the skies were clear.

Of course, there were a lot of people there because of this and it was crowded everywhere we went. Except the pumpkin fields. They were large enough to handle the hundreds of people who decided to choose this day to find a pumpkin.

My granddaughter, Joy searched the open field. She looked and looked for the perfect pumpkin for herself. It was a long process. It had to be big. It had to be round. It had to have a stem. It had to be free of dirt. It had to be perfect.

I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Luke 19:10 (NIV). “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

The good news here is that Jesus didn’t look for the “perfect” lost. There is no such thing! Jesus came to find any and all who were lost. And He even went out of His way to be with those who were not perfect.

On one occasion, Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law why He and His disciples associated with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus’ response was, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31 – NIV)

You see, Jesus knew who needed His gift of forgiveness. The sinners of the world. And I know for a fact that if Jesus had come for the “perfect” of this world, I would not be included in that group.

And Scripture goes on to prove exactly what Jesus’ mission was. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, thought for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8 – NIV)

God’s love for each of us is so great, that He was willing to allow His only Son to die and take on all of our sins. And what does this verse tell us about ourselves? That we were powerless. We were ungodly. We were sinners. The exact people that Jesus came to seek and save.

God does not want anyone to perish. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) tells us this. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

When I am stubborn and hold on to sin that God dislikes, I am thankful for God’s patience. He doesn’t want me to continue in that sin and He wants me to come to repentance. So He waits. He waits for me to come to my senses and know that there is no joy outside of Christ. Oh how much more I love God because of His love for me and His patience with me.

Are you living outside of Christ’s love? If so, why not come to the understanding that you are exactly who Jesus is seeking. You are the one He came to save. Come into His loving arms and accept the forgiveness and salvation He alone can offer. I’d love to talk to you about that if you’re willing. Send me an email and we can begin the conversation.

If you are living inside of Christ’s love, praise Him yet again for His willingness to love you to pieces and His desire to forgive. Strive to live a holy life. Be a reflection of Jesus for others to see. If you are struggling with this, send me an email. I’d love to chat about it.

Well, Joy finally found her perfect pumpkin. And a perfect pumpkin for her brother, Percy and her soon-to-be baby sister, Leslieanna. It was worth all the efforts to see the smile on her face. To see the excitement those pumpkins brought to my beautiful grandchildren at finding the perfect pumpkin.

It gave me a glimpse into God’s heart. A tiny glimpse into how He must feel when a sinner comes to accept Jesus as their Savior. A Savior who came to “seek and to save what was lost.”

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna