The Unconditional Pursuit: A Call to Belong.
Relentlessly pursuing Jesus? Wandered off the path from Jesus? On the fence about Jesus?
Here’s what’s true: You matter to Jesus. Yes, you.
There are no qualifications for God’s love and pursuit of you. You matter to Jesus; He calls you by name to come to Him, and He desires you to be with Him.
Reread those words: He desires you to be with Him. In Matthew 18:12, Jesus shares this parable:
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”
It’s not just a story; it's a reassuring reality of Jesus’ love and commitment to every single one of His own. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, never gives up on His sheep. Never. He diligently seeks out the one who wanders.
We all have moments when we feel like the wandering sheep. Sometimes, we feel like we’re straying off the path. But remember this: you are not forgotten, and you matter to Jesus. He cares for the one who has strayed just as much as He does the ninety-nine who stayed close (Matthew 18:13). So draw near to Him today.
Because no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, Jesus is seeking after you, calling you by name to not only follow Him but to be with Him.
How will you respond today?
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...