Five and seven - The ages of my children seem to be advancing quicker than the perceived time we are given with them, but they are still young, and still need (and sometimes want) to hold the hand of mom or dad as we walk through a busy sidewalk or public area. Always, it’s Morgan and I stretching down to grab their hands in these necessary moments. Walking hand in hand, sometimes a little hunched over, you feel their hands sticky from an ice cream, missing the days they were a bit more soft and pudgy when they were so young. However, even as they get older and they listen when we holler, we still reach for their hands in moments where they can’t tell if their safety is in jeopardy or their social ability to move over is lacking when someone is walking in the opposite direction past them. Most of the time when their grip loosens, or they try to wriggle away, our hands clasp tight and squeeze them to the point where they can’t let go. If they slip, trip, or start to fall, we are holding their hands in a way that we can quickly squeeze and lift them enough to prevent the stumble, or even yank them out of harm's way. Holding your child’s hand can be a comforting thing as a parent, providing a peace of mind, and if our children knew of the safety and security it provides, it would be doubly as comforting for them.
As it is with God’s hand in ours. Walking with him, hand in hand, we may loosen our grip, we may stumble, we may have an obstacle we can’t get over on our own, but there he is - holding on tightly to our hand, squeezing it tighter as we try to let go, keeping us standing as we fumble our feet, and lifting us up as the obstacles approach. But, what are you to do if you have no hand to hold? What happens if you are not gripped by the guiding hand of our Heavenly Father? What happens when you stumble? What happens when an obstacle comes your way? What happens when you try to run toward danger? Like a sheep without a shepherd, the cliff approaches quickly. Death and destruction await. This damning fate does not approach because the shepherd failed, but because the sheep refused his guidance and failed to submit to his leading. There is a sad and very real existence for the sheep that choose not to believe. They have no safety net and imminent danger approaches. Maybe you know unbelieving people that are living like sheep without a shepherd, that are wandering toward a sure destination that is dangerous and deadly, they don’t have the comforting hand of the Good Shepherd to guide them, nor the grip of a Heavenly Father to pull them close as an obstacle draws near.
So, with what heart should we care for these lost souls, and with what mindset should we pursue them? Should we leave them headed for destruction? Or, should we warn them as long as they give us a chance to? Just remember: For the unbelieving and wayward sheep encountered in John 10, Jesus still went on to Calvary. He was tried, beaten, and hung on a cross to take away the sins of those who opposed, rejected, and refused him. People will live in disbelief, they may choose to oppose and reject the message of hope in the Gospel, but we pursue them, nevertheless. For we have been shown mercy and received grace upon grace, therefore we may desire to see others comforted by the same love that has saved us, protected us, comforts us, and sanctifies us.
As it is with God’s hand in ours. Walking with him, hand in hand, we may loosen our grip, we may stumble, we may have an obstacle we can’t get over on our own, but there he is - holding on tightly to our hand, squeezing it tighter as we try to let go, keeping us standing as we fumble our feet, and lifting us up as the obstacles approach. But, what are you to do if you have no hand to hold? What happens if you are not gripped by the guiding hand of our Heavenly Father? What happens when you stumble? What happens when an obstacle comes your way? What happens when you try to run toward danger? Like a sheep without a shepherd, the cliff approaches quickly. Death and destruction await. This damning fate does not approach because the shepherd failed, but because the sheep refused his guidance and failed to submit to his leading. There is a sad and very real existence for the sheep that choose not to believe. They have no safety net and imminent danger approaches. Maybe you know unbelieving people that are living like sheep without a shepherd, that are wandering toward a sure destination that is dangerous and deadly, they don’t have the comforting hand of the Good Shepherd to guide them, nor the grip of a Heavenly Father to pull them close as an obstacle draws near.
So, with what heart should we care for these lost souls, and with what mindset should we pursue them? Should we leave them headed for destruction? Or, should we warn them as long as they give us a chance to? Just remember: For the unbelieving and wayward sheep encountered in John 10, Jesus still went on to Calvary. He was tried, beaten, and hung on a cross to take away the sins of those who opposed, rejected, and refused him. People will live in disbelief, they may choose to oppose and reject the message of hope in the Gospel, but we pursue them, nevertheless. For we have been shown mercy and received grace upon grace, therefore we may desire to see others comforted by the same love that has saved us, protected us, comforts us, and sanctifies us.