Leave the 99

Imagine watching a person (or dog) you love deeply being kidnapped.  You have stand near the scene, yell as loud as you can to show them you can help them escape while they are completely unaware of your presence.  As you run toward them, you watch the the horror emerge in the eyes of your loved one as they are being snatched up by the criminal.  When you finally reach the enemy, you fight them and fight them and do everything in your power to provide a way out, but by then it's too late.  They have been fed monstrous lies and been given false promises.  They are out of reach.  As your loved one is placed in the kidnapper's car, you are certain that their happiness is forever gone, they will be tortured beyond even your worst nightmare, and you will never see them again.

This is obviously the worst possible thing that could happen to anyone, and it happens to God every day on an even greater scale.  When we do not choose the light, despite His constant effort and ongoing battle, he must watch us die (1 John 5:12).  Actually, die.  Jesus is alive, and because of this, we have hope while we are here, but if we do not seize the opportunity to create a relationship with the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6),  the great "I am" (Exodus 3:14) -- then we are doomed.  Not only is this tragic for us, but it is absolutely heartbreaking for God.  The Bible tells us so many times that Jesus LOVES us, and he LOVES to give us grace.  God absolutely delights in us coming home.  God waits patiently for us to proclaim that we are His, and we need Him. 

Luke 15:7, one of my all time favorite verses, says:
"Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

This truth is hard to comprehend, but it just makes me smile when I really sit down to think about it.  In Greek, repent means to change your mind, change your ways, or think differently.  So it is explicitly stated that God REJOICES over one sinner who changes their ways.  He absolutely loves those who are lost and He gets so much joy over someone coming home.

Because this is so important to God, and because it causes EXTRA joy in heaven (hard to imagine), it should be of the utmost importance to us.  We should seek those who are lost and be ready to help them come home.  We should show the love God has for us through actions and words, and proclaim the Gospel so that others know there is someone eagerly waiting their arrival.  And first and foremost, we must remember that if we are breathing, God is fighting for us and it is not a burden nor is it too late to come home.  He truly wants us there with Him, talking to Him, accepting His love, and clinging to Him as he fights the enemy to get us home safe and sound.