Leaving the Ninety-Nine

Sometimes I get a song stuck in my head.
And sometimes I love a song SO much that I have it on repeat 24/7!

There is a song at the moment that I cannot stop listening to!
“Reckless Love” by Passion is my absolute favourite at the moment.

You can listen to it here.

Honestly, the lyrics get me every time!
There is one line in there at the moment, that I have sung a thousand time, but for some (God!) reason, I can’t move past it…

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.”

And the line that is really getting me is “Chases me down, fights ’til I’m found leaves the ninety-nine.”

Leaves the ninety-nine.
He leaves the ninety-nine.
He would leave the ninety-nine just for me! Really?
For little ole me.
Me, who stuffs up on a continual basis.
Me, who struggles with self-confidence.
Me, who doubts His plan for my life.
Me!

He would leave all the others just for me, again, some days I cant get my head around that, but the fact is, He would!

The parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12 is a story I am sure most of us have heard. It’s one of those stories that we are told in Sunday School and I am sure most of us have pictures made out of cotton balls as a reminder of the story!

It’s a great story and a reminder that Jesus loves us beyond comprehension. But for me this week, it took on a whole new meaning. If Jesus would leave the ninety-nine for the one, and we are to be like Jesus, then shouldn’t I?

Part of my role at Church is to be on the women’s team. As part of that team, we plan events. We ask the women what kind of things they would like, and we try to cater to as many as we can.

And so when they say they would like a social evening…..we put one on!
We put our heart and soul into these evenings….and then on the night, you get a low turn out! And to be honest, my heart sinks! I feel all deflated and feel like a failure. Now I know women are “tired” and have lots going on, but it is hard when you get a handful of women coming to something they asked for! It’s hard when you invest so much and know if more women had of come, they would have loved it!

Now, the purpose of this blog is to not get down on those women! The purpose is to say, those that came matter! It wouldn’t have mattered if we only had one woman turn up, we still would have put our heart and soul into it. Why? Because she matters. She is worth leaving the ninety-nine for. She is the one. And if Jesus would leave the ninety-nine for her, then so will I!

You know, sometimes we can get so preoccupied with numbers! The bigger the better, the more we have, the more we feel like we are succeeding!
But that is such a worldly way to look at it, and God does not care about high numbers, the plain fact is, He cares about the one!

And so for me, it has been a bit of a wake up call this week. I am not doing what I am doing for high numbers or for recognition from people, but I am being obedient so that I may grow more like Christ. So that I would care for the one. No matter who she is. And no matter what the cost.