January 12, 2024

Have you ever thought about how different our values are from God’s? I mean, think about the things we get excited about. When we have a big crowd on a Sunday, we cheer. When we get an especially big offering, we’re thrilled. When we put new carpet in our sanctuaries, new blacktop on our parking lots, or get a new sound system put in, we do a happy dance. But have you ever thought about the fact that none of that lights God’s fire? It most likely barely even brings a smile to His Face.
Then what does make God shout with joy? One. One drunk who finds Jesus and gets sober. One wayward child who gets saved, turns around, and makes his way back home. One broken marriage that turns to God and finds healing. One hard-hearted soul for whom the Spirit of God finally breaks through and kneels at an altar in broken repentance. That’s all it takes for God. Just one lost sheep being brought back into the fold.
God’s not impressed with our big shows. He’s not moved by our impressive architecture. He doesn’t care if our band has cut an album. Our laser light shows and smoke machines don’t do anything for Him at all. All the stuff that makes us say, “Wow,” is pretty much meaningless to God. Funny enough, the one thing that really rocks His world is the one thing we tend to ignore. All those lost children of His that need to come home.
Take that thought with you this week. You see those “lost sheep” are all around us every day. They’re co-workers. They’re neighbors. They’re brothers and sisters and cousins. They’re where we shop, where we bank, and where we eat. So if you’re wondering what it is you might do to make all of heaven gather for a party and shout and sing and yell, the answer is all around you. Just let God use you to help lead one of those lost sheep home. Just ONE. And you will have brought more joy to the heart of God than anything else you could ever do. That’s God’s Word for you today.