Silent Vs. Still

Even when God seems silent, He is not still.

Shots

Wayne Gretzky:

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV):

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

A Car In The Garage

G. K. Chesterton:

"Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

The Christian Ideal

G. K. Chesterton:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

Hatred

G. K. Chesterton:

"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."

Sun

G. K. Chesterton:

"God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it, you cannot look at anything else."

Lost Sheep

In Luke 15:4-7 (NKJV), Jesus shared the parable of the lost sheep.

Jesus said, "What man of you, having 100 sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance."

God seeks out sinners and backsliders, and there are a whole lot of them out there, all caught up in the cares and in the desires of this world, and who have fallen prey to the deceitfulness of earthly riches and comfort and treasures. Today, especially, it seems like there are a lot of people out there who may have professed to be Christians with their lips, but whose lives and choices and decisions and actions do not evidence it whatsoever. God wants to bring them back to the flock, too, for they are as lost as any other sinner.

God rejoices when He finds lost (and backslidden) sheep.

So should we.