Pursued by Love
Have you ever felt that wave of panic when something important goes missing—your phone, your wallet, even the TV remote? When something is valuable to us, we don’t stop looking until we find it. We flip cushions, retrace our steps, and keep searching—relentlessly.
Now imagine this: what if you were the one who was lost? And what if God Himself was searching for you with that same relentless determination?
Here’s the truth—many of us don’t even realize we’re lost. We’re lost in busyness, filling our calendars to the brim because the world celebrates hustle, even when our souls are exhausted. Some of us are lost in relationships, hoping another person can complete us, forgetting that only Jesus truly can. Others are lost in self-doubt, silently fighting a daily battle with worth and identity. And some are just spiritually lost—longing for peace, comfort, security... longing for home.
But the powerful truth revealed in Scripture is this: God is not waiting for you to find your way—He is actively pursuing you.
The God Who Pursues
In Ezekiel 34, God speaks out against the corrupt leaders of Israel—“shepherds” who used their power for themselves instead of caring for their people. They ignored the weak, the wounded, and the lost. But God steps in with a promise:
“I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” (Ezekiel 34:11)
God says, in essence, “I will come for you Myself.” And that promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who steps into our broken world to find and restore the lost.
Fast forward 600 years to Luke 15, where Jesus is criticized for eating with sinners and outcasts. In a culture where sharing a meal meant full acceptance, this was radical. And Jesus didn’t back down. Instead, He told a story:
“What man among you, if he has 100 sheep and loses one, doesn’t leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost one until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4)
This is the radical love of the Shepherd.
When sheep are lost, they are helpless. They can’t defend themselves. They can’t find their way home. They often wander further into danger. And yet the Shepherd leaves the 99 and goes after the one.
To some, that might sound reckless. But to God, it’s personal.
You are not just a number.
You are seen.
You are valuable.
You were created on purpose, for a purpose.
The most powerful line in that parable? “Until he finds it.”
He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t move on. He searches until He finds the one.
And when He finds you, He carries you home with joy.
The Cross: The Ultimate Rescue Mission
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
The cross wasn’t just a rescue plan—it was the ultimate pursuit.
Romans 5:8 reminds us:
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
And Luke 19:10 says:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus didn’t wait for us to come to Him. He came for us. And His mission hasn’t changed—He’s still seeking and saving today.
What Does This Mean for You?
For the Lost: If you feel far from God, or like you’ve gone too far—you haven’t. You don’t have to fix everything first. Just let Him carry you home. You are not too far gone.
For the New Believer: Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll never wander. But it does mean He will always pursue you. Stay close to the Shepherd—stay in His Word, pray, listen for His voice, and stay in community.
For the Church: Who is the one God is calling you to pursue? Are you praying for them? Loving them? Reaching out even when it’s hard? Don’t give up. Don’t quit.
One Matters
There’s a beautiful story entitled The Boy and the Starfish and as the story goes, a man was walking along a beach covered in thousands of stranded starfish when he noticed a young boy picking them up one by one and tossing them back into the ocean. Curious, the man approached the boy and said, “There are too many starfish here. You can’t possibly save them all. What difference does it make?” The boy paused, picked up another starfish, gently threw it into the waves, and replied, “It makes a difference for this one.”
You may not be able to reach everyone—but you can reach one.
So… who is your one?
Let’s be a church that goes after the one—again and again. Let’s be a people who passionately and persistently pursue the lost, the broken, and the forgotten.
Let’s GO ONE MORE—
In prayer.
In love.
In pursuit.
Because our Good Shepherd never stops.
And neither should we.