Matthew 18

I'm reading a piece of scripture that I think I've read about a thousand times...give or take a couple of scripture skimming. Matthew 18: 1- 14 goes through the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and to The Parable of The Lost Sheep. And the one verse that I know I've read before hit me so strongly...

"In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." Matthew 18:14.

Hm..."not willing" ....Not: used to express negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition.
Willing: disposed or consenting; inclined.

God refuses to incline. He will have no part in actively watching any of us go astray. If and when we do, he will come, and he will find us. No matter what the cost. I think the thing that dawned on me is that I always felt that He has live relationships with his children, but I never really thought about the fact that no matter what, He is always seeking to bring us back. Always. God never stops pursuing us. "...your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." What a great encouragement, that when I turn into a legit wack job, which does happen often, he doesn't sit on his throne waiting for me to get my head on straight. He's the one who makes that new beginning happen! How could I not love him for that?

Just reading that has given me a whole new love for Nathan. Nathan has been down a road that is so foreign to me, but has somehow brought about similar feelings, which allows us to really understand each other. But, with all the things that Satan has dragged him through and that he willingly participated in, God actively pursued him at all costs. No matter what it took to get Nathan's attention. And He finally got a hold of him, because He so loves Nathan. O, how can I not love this child, this man of God that I have seen God love so much! Look at how the Lord chased after him, how he left the flock of 99 to find the one. And he has given this precious find to me to love. It's amazing, and it's amazing how much I learn from Nathan.

I'm praying tonight that I can go back to read scripture I've read many times, to discover what the Lord is actually saying. Not what the church says he's saying, not what my mom's devotional book says he's saying, but what fragments of words that hold the message of the whole book are saying. Because without "is not willing," how zealous does it really sound?

~Lar