99 and the Lost 1
A God Who Cares for the Individual-
I recently had the opportunity to pray with someone to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thirty years of preparation and I’m sure I did it exactly wrong. I called my mom afterward to be sure I couldn’t have messed it up. I worried that this newly saved soul would find themselves held up at the pearly gates over a dispute regarding the details of their salvation. “Who prayed with you? Oh Cassie? Yikes…yeah she still wasn’t ready.”
But all jokes aside, talk about a waging war leading up to the prayer, walking into the building where it was to take place, and even after it was all said and done. I serve a God who surrounds me before and behind and He will fight for me. Whether I am on board or not, His purpose will prevail! If He wants to use me to pray with a young girl, He will- even if I do it exactly wrong. I can’t save her, He can. I can’t convince her, He can. I didn’t draw her in, He did. And He does the same for each of us. Praise the God who leaves the 99 to go after that lost one.
There is something so incredible about being given the opportunity to witness and participate in God’s growing of His Kingdom. I had been praying He would bring about many new believers and was waiting expectantly for a jaw dropping amount of converts, but that's not what I got to see. Per usual, I had to sit with God for a minute, wondering why He wasn’t working according to my plan and time table when He sent up a small child. Her name was Lucy, of all names, and she was ready to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. A few years ago, I had expected to raise a Lucy myself. A dream of another small sister to join the crew, but God had other plans. I had 17 weeks to carry my little Lou before He took her home to live by His side healed and whole. It’s been almost two years since we had to put a pause on that dream of meeting our Lucy, but the Lord has walked with us hand in hand as we healed from that hurt. Today, I stand new, and better for it with a song in my mouth about the mercies, faithfulness, and new life the Lord always brings about. I have another girl now, one more that we couldn’t imagine life without. But, my story still doesn’t end there. God is still working. My plans and expectations, though plentiful, rarely play out as I hope, but my God meets me there. Here I was, waiting for hundred-thousands even- of new Christians that I would get to see with my own eyes. Yet, once I realized my idea wasn’t the plan- He brought about one small girl with a name near and dear to my soul. A little Lucy that wanted to follow Jesus all her days.
Maybe my Lucy was a foreshadow of an opportunity I would get years down the road to see a child make an eternal decision. To witness the way the Lord celebrates and works in one as readily as thousands. He can save thousands, and He does, but even just one is worth His time, so that makes it worth mine as well. Something about my Jesus invites me to take a deep breath and be present because He cares about the small details. He cares that my mission field is a posse of three small girls who need constant reminders about what the Bible says regarding lying lips or complaining and dispute.
It often feels like an overwhelming and unimportant job. Like life is passing by without you while you work on yet another grease stain, but God tells us that He sees us there. That our tiny mission fields are worth all the time and energy. That the work we are doing is Holy, hard, and often messy. Coming to Jesus is simple, our salvation is bought and sealed by the blood of Christ and requires only to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. Done. I will see you in heaven for all eternity. Yet, the aftermath of salvation is the road of faith, and it's a hard walk. It’s fighting against discouragement as you remind yourself that being the hands and feet of Jesus to your family is your calling and it is not beneath you and it is not as insignificant as the enemy wants you to believe.
Spent some time reflecting on Matthew 18:1-6 and 10-14.
Ask the Lord today for one moment to share His love. Pray for boldness and opportunity to share the gospel and pray that He would prepare in advance the hearts of those to whom you will witness. He’s the One who saves. We just show up.
👉 Take a moment to pray Matthew 18 over your own heart and ask God to open doors this week.
If you’re raising Littles or living life in the trenches, know this: you’re already on mission.
Your messy, mundane ministry matters more than you know. Ask Him to encourage and remind you of the holy work you are doing in your mundane day to day.
Drop a comment and tell me your own gospel sharing stories—let’s practice sharing our faith regularly because salvation is the greatest gift we have ever been given.
