Have you ever wandered from the faith and not realized the danger you were in until you were able to reflect sometime later? As people we tend to wander off for a variety of reasons. But it is the Lord who rescues.
When our son was about four years old, we were in a large museum in Chicago when he wondered off for a few minutes. I quickly looked around and found where he was. There are times in our life where we wonder off not realizing the danger we are in and suddenly the Lord intervenes. In the Bible we are often compared to sheep. Sheep are a very helpless animal that wonder off and need a shepherd to guide them back to the herd.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Jesus tells the parable of a lost sheep in Matthew 18. This parable gives us understanding of the importance of the Shepherd and the joy that occurs when sheep is found. If we are compared to sheep what does that say about us? Also, what does that tell us about our need for a Shepherd to guide and intervene on our behalf?
Matthew 18:12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! [1]
The Lord Rescues by Intervention
Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, had pursued the letter of the law to such a degree that he was persecuting believers in Jesus. Saul did not know Jesus as his Messiah during this time, and it took the Lord’s intervention to bring him into the fold. As Saul traveled to Damascus to persecute believers in Jesus, the Lord knocked him off his horse and blinded him. Jesus also spoke to him and asked him why he was persecuting him. During these 3 days of blindness Saul came to understand that Jesus was the Messiah and thus his Savior. On the third day the Lord sent Ananias to pray for him to restore his sight.
Acts 9:17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.[2]
When Did the Lord Rescue You?
All of us have a faith story when the Lord intervened in our lives to draw us to faith. We can praise the Lord for doing that! If you don’t know Jesus yet, He is calling you right now as you read this to place your faith in Him. Don’t wait, for today is the day of salvation. (2Cor. 6:2) You can trust the Lord who rescues. When Saul was rescued, he believed and was baptized, and the Lord set him on a new path. He became the greatest missionary the world had ever seen. No one is beyond the Lord’s reach, not even a person like Saul (Paul) who persecuted believers in Jesus. God also wants to do greater things in you life.
Prayer of Salvation
“Dear God, I want to be a part of your family. You said in Your Word that if I acknowledge that You raised Jesus from the dead, and that I accept Him as my Lord and Savior, I would be saved. So God, I now say that I believe You raised Jesus from the dead and that He is alive and well. I accept Him now as my personal Lord and Savior. I accept my salvation from sin right now. . Jesus is my Lord. Jesus is my Savior. Thank you, Father God, for forgiving me, saving me, and giving me eternal life with You. Amen!” [3]
To hear more about the Lord who rescues, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/god-has-more-a-call-for-paul
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] http://tv.larryhutton.org/sinners-prayer/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrPCGBhALEiwAUl9X08F2CQpFD4_iigiR6mgVEeKMAMewbhYFtLZNOwPqHT73XDoBPRnEsxoCBSAQAvD_BwE