[Jesus said] "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of My Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:12-14)

Do you ever feel like there's just no way you could really matter to God? You see the greatness of the universe and the holiness of God, and then you look at yourself and—well, it doesn't make sense. How could God care about someone as small and as messed up as I am?

It's a natural feeling, and it might be why Jesus told the story. After all, from a business point of view, a single lost sheep is no big deal. Why run the risk of leaving 99 other sheep on the mountains just to climb over rocks and through thorns and get tired and sweaty and possibly injured, all for a single silly sheep?

But the shepherd doesn't think this way. To him, this sheep is precious—infinitely precious. It isn't just another entry in the ledger book. He loves the sheep, and he will do whatever he must to bring it back safely.

So too with God. He isn't looking at you from a business point of view. He's looking at you with eyes of love—the same love that drove Him into this world to become your Savior, to live and to die and to rise again—for you.

WE PRAY: I can't understand it, but thank You, Lord, for loving me. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* Tell about a time when you saw someone really cared about you, yourself, as a person.

* Who or what do you care about, even though it's unreasonable?

* Why do you think God cares so much about us, though we are little?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Leviticus 26-27    Mark 11:19-33

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