Devotionals for the Heart: Jesus Christ seeks to save the lost in this world

The Lost Blueberry
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?” –Matthew 18:12 (AMP)

One day last month, I picked up my 4-year-old son early from pre-school.

We had an appointment later that afternoon, but we went home first. I wanted to make sure he had a snack prior to leaving home so that he would be satisfied for the remainder of the afternoon. I sat him down at the table with a few crackers, a cup of water, and a small container of fresh blueberries. The blueberries were in season and sweet, so I was sure that he would enjoy them.

I left the room for a few minutes to get ready for the appointment. When I returned, I found my son under the table. I asked him what he was doing and then he started to cry. I thought he hurt himself under there so I got down on my hands and knees to see if I could help. He then explained that he dropped a blueberry, and he could not find it. I was baffled.

There on his placemat was the bowl of blueberries that was still nearly full. It was almost time to leave for the appointment and I was looking at the clock, thinking about the time that was wasted searching for a tiny blueberry that rolled away. I pleaded with him to stop worrying about the blueberry under the table and to simply eat the ones that were in the bowl. My son insisted upon searching everywhere for that blueberry until he found it. It did not matter to him that there was a bowl of blueberries on the table waiting for him to enjoy. He was more concerned with the blueberry that was lost somewhere under the table.

We were a little bit late to our appointment that afternoon, but I could not be upset with my son. Rather, I was grateful for the lesson he taught me in this simple act: He rescued what appeared to be an insignificant blueberry that fell and was lost. Meanwhile, that blueberry meant the world to my son, so much that he left the whole bowl of other blueberries just to find the one that was lost.

How reminiscent of our Heavenly Father who would do anything to seek and save those who are lost! It is not His will that any of us would perish, be lost, or even be in danger. Instead, God is always fighting for us, constantly pursuing us, and relentlessly loving us and longing for us. He never gives up on any of us.

Just like the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12, the shepherd with 100 sheep, willingly leaves the 99 sheep who are safe, in search of the one sheep that strayed away. God’s love for us is so deep that He gave His Son for the salvation of all. But even if it was just you, Jesus would have died just for you.

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, we can never thank You enough for Your love toward us. You are such a personal God who seeks to develop a deeper relationship with each of us. Thank You for Your constant pursuit of us and for Your ultimate goal to save us. We worship You for Your goodness and Your mercy. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/