Have you ever gone to visit a farm? If you have, you’re going to understand this devotional right away. If you have not, let me explain.
When I was growing up, one of my best friends lived on a sheep ranch in central Illinois. I learned how they grow thick hair called wool on their bodies, farmers shear or cut off their hair a few times each year for making warm clothes or blankets. Without someone to watch over them, they can wander off and get lost.
Sheep are often confused by strange noises or lights and may run off suddenly and become lost. When they do, a shepherd has to go out and find them. Often the lost ones need to be rescued from whatever trouble they run into… sometimes that means carrying them out a flooded creek, or cutting them loose when they get stuck in a barb wire fence.
In the book of Matthew, we read of how Jesus acted when he came to earth. He was very concerned about the lost and broken people he found. He didn’t get angry or upset with those who were lost or so frightened they couldn’t find their way home, he went out of his way to go find and rescue them.
You probably already know this, but you and I act a lot like sheep. We can get scared, frightened by life and wander away from our faith until we feel lost. And just like my friends sheep, we need someone who cares enough to come and help us find our way back.
One of the most beautiful truths about Christmas is this shepherd of the sheep example of Jesus. He went to find the lost and broken, and he didn’t wait for them to come and find him
This Christmas, you may know someone who is acting ‘lost’. A friend or family member you know who struggles to see the ‘good’ in life or even to keep trusting in Jesus.
Ask your parents or church pastor to help you find a way to show the compassion of Christ Jesus to the lost and broken around you. That could be as simple as helping someone have a Christmas full of joy and hope, or just making sure a friend going through a difficult time knows you’re going to be around to help or listen, no matter what.
Remember, the hope of Christmas is contagious, and Jesus made every effort to relieve the pain and suffering of those around him! Let’s be sure to do the same.
