When God seems far and the Christian community not close by, a Christian will feel like a sheep that has wandered off – alone, unloved, even helpless. You may be the one who has walked away but you are precious to God.
The parable in Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15:1-7 reminds us that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who will leave behind the 99 sheep to look for the one lost sheep. The lost sheep may not be aware but the shepherd is out looking for it. Are you not much more valuable than the sheep? As Hebrew 13:5 says “…God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” He is always watching over us!