Matthew 18:12-14

Rachel Workman: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! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Sometimes in the shame of our sin it's hard to imagine that God loves is individually. We matter to the father more than we will ever give him credit for.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Allen Michaels: 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! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.

Just as a shepherd is concerned enough about one lost sheep to go search in the hills for it, so God is concerned about every human being he has created (He is "not wanting anyone to perish." 2 Peter 3:9). We come in contact with children and those who lost their way, who need Christ at home, at school, in church, and in the neighborhood.  We must steer them toward Christ by our example, our words, and our acts of kindness.