in His heart . He had you in His heart . He had your lost loved one in His heart . And , in the midst of the worst circumstances imaginable , it brought Him great joy to persevere for the sake of those who would one day turn to Him . Unfathomable , no ?
Before we move to Jesus ’ third illustration , it ’ s important to note that the first two analogies only go so far . They reveal God ’ s passion for the one who has lost his or her way . But here ’ s where the analogies break down . The shepherd didn ’ t know where the sheep had gone . The woman had no idea how or where her coin had been misplaced . When we or our loved ones are lost , it ’ s not to say that Jesus doesn ’ t know where we went . We may have lost our way , but Jesus always knows where we are . We can never escape His notice . He knows everything about us — when we stand up and when we sit down . He even knows what we ’ re going to say before we say it .
O Lord , you have examined my heart and know everything about me .
You know when I sit down or stand up . You know my thoughts even when I ’ m far away . You see me when I travel and when I rest at home .
You know everything I do . You know what I am going to say even before I say it , Lord . You go before me and follow me .
You place your hand of blessing on my head . Such knowledge is too wonderful for me , too great for me to understand !
Psalm 139:1 – 6
Jesus used these illustrations to show that the wandering heart is never far from His heart . He seeks the lost because they don ’ t know they ’ re lost . It ’ s the sick that need a doctor , not those who are convinced they are well . In pursuit of those He loves , Jesus orchestrates situations that bring truth and revelation to their hearts . He puts the right person in the right place at the right time . His Holy Spirit whispers truth at a moment of vulnerability . His warring angels intervene on enemy schemes to give the person a chance to repent .
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