“God’s love is extravagant—prodigal in the best sense—welcoming the lost, restoring the broken, and inviting us to the feast through Jesus Christ, our True Older Brother. From Isaiah’s invitation to come and eat to the Father’s embrace in Luke 15, we see that it is God’s character always to have mercy.”

Lost to God. Lost to the flock. Lost to themselves. That’s how Matthew Henry describes the wandering sheep of Israel. But there is a Good Shepherd of our souls who leaves the 99 to seek out his one lost lamb and carry them safely home.

“The word of the Lord; Thanks be to God.” That’s the refrain you hear after scripture is read in Anglican worship. Sometimes we give thanks for words that are obviously full of sweet comfort and joy. Others time God’s word is hard to our ears and hard on our hearts. All of God’s Word is good, though. And even those hard words come from his great love for us and his longing that we might be with him.