Psalm 23:6
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.” (NIV)

—

Where is God?

Right behind you.

Right beside you.

Right where you are.

If this psalm were the only place to say this, it would be enough. But this is the consistent, constant message of the Old and New Testaments.

Luke 15 provides three more glimpses into the heart of God for all people, even you.

God is like a man with ninety-nine sheep safely gathered who goes in search of the one that wandered off and got lost.

God is like a woman with life savings who has lost one of her precious ten silver coins who searches high and low until she finds it.

God is like a father with two sons, one of whom left with his portion of the father’s estate and wasted it, only to return in humiliation at his bankrupt condition.

Our Father in Heaven celebrates and invites us to celebrate with him when he finds his lost sheep.

Our Father in Heaven celebrates and invites us to celebrate with him when he finds his lost coin.

Our Father in Heaven celebrates and invites us to celebrate with him when we realize we are lost, pursued, and found.

Where are you in these stories?

God is pursuing you, and will continue pursuing you all the days of your life. You never have to wonder where he is. You never have to wonder if he loves you. You never have to wonder if he wants you back. You never have to wonder if he has a place in heaven for you.

He is.

He does.

Welcome home!

Let’s party with God.

—

I will join God’s Lost and Found mission to the whole wide world, and you.

—

Our Father, thank you for relentlessly pursuing every lost soul. Thank you for your never-ending love for every man, woman, boy, and girl, and those whose self-identity is confused at best and degraded at worst. Thank you for drawing all people to yourself with your perfect love, even those people we’ve been taught to hate. Thank you for loving everyone, even me. Teach us how to live and love like you, and to join you in your seeking, saving mission to the whole world. Amen.