06/28/2019
Are you wandering in your faith, or worse than that are you lost in it? Do you want to go home, but not how to get there? Sometimes we become lost for no reason of our own, we think we know where we are until suddenly we realize that we are lost. At other times it is because we didn’t follow directions, but occasionally we are intentionally led away and left to our own devices. All of this can happen to us in our journey of faith, but Jesus, and our Holy Father come to find us.
“"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Luke 15:4-5 ESV
Have you ever been lost in a forest or wilderness? I mean have you ever come to the realization that you didn’t know where you were, and had the weight of that come crashing down on you? Well this happened to me while I was a boy, hunting on my grandfather’s farm in North Carolina.
It was a sunny fall afternoon, and I asked if I could take my gun and go squirrel hunting. Although I had gone many times before I always asked my parents. So after receiving a few instructions as to when I should come home, and to be careful, I walked into the woods just like I had done all those times before. I walked quietly, and stopped every so often to listen, until at last I heard some squirrels jumping in the leaves ahead... so I crept closer and sat down next to a tree where I waited for a good shot at them. As luck would have it they went the other way, but I sat there until it was time for me to go home. So I cradled my gun in my arms and started the long walk home. I had walked down certain ridges to get here, so I was retracing my steps to get back.
I had walked for a while, taking this path and that, until suddenly I realized that I was lost... I must have taken a wrong turn. The panic started to well up in me, and I tried to go back to my hunting spot to start over again, but I couldn’t even do that. Every ridge looked the same, and the Forest was so dense that I couldn’t make out a distant landmark. Fear overcame me and tears began to stream down my face.
Finally I stopped my wandering at the side of a small creek, and remembered what my father had taught me about finding my way when I was lost... the first lesson was not to panic, and after running through several others that didn’t fit my circumstance, I remembered him saying that if you followed a stream, or a creek they would lead you down to where people lived, or at least a road. So I followed the creek I was standing beside until at last I came upon a farmhouse, and was able to call home. I was incredibly thankful for the kindness of those people, and the wisdom of my father’s lessons.
We become lost in our faith as well. We are traveling along the way of the faithful when suddenly we realize that we have taken a wrong turn, and we don’t know where we are, or how to get home... we feel hopelessly lost. In such a situation we have two good choices. The first is to stop where we are and call out for help... trusting in God to find us. The second is to remember God’s commandments and use them to find our way back to a known place... to him.
“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.”
Psalms 119:176 ESV
The worst thing that someone who is lost can do is to keep wandering aimlessly, or give into fear and panic.
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Then there are those occasions when we are intentionally led away, like Eve was in the Garden of Eden when the serpent lied to her, Job was when Satan was allowed to test him, or Jesus was led into the wilderness where He was tempted.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”
Matthew 4:1-2 ESV
“"My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.”
Jeremiah 50:6 ESV
In each of these stories where the protagonist felt as if they might be lost, abandoned, or separated by sin, they never forgot God’s Word, or who He was. In each case they held onto their trust in Him. Adam and Eve disobeyed, but even in that sin they never lost their faith in God. Job held tight to his faith in the midst of his immense suffering, and Jesus rebuffed every temptation of Satan by quoting God’s Word. When I was lost while hunting I was full of fear until I stopped and remembered the things my father had taught me, and it is the same when we are spiritually lost... we need to hold tight to the lessons of God’s Word. We do this by recalling scripture, and praying.
“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”
Psalms 25:4-5 NLT
Today you might be spiritually wandering in a wilderness, or perhaps your eyes just opened to the fact that you don’t know where you are anymore. Then again, maybe you find yourself being tempted, or dealing with disobedience... sin. Whatever the case, don’t let Satan convince you that God has abandoned you, lied to you, or been cruel to you. None of those things are true. If you are Adam and Eve He will dress you in warm skins, and send Jesus to redeem you. If you are Job he will end your tribulation then reward your suffering and loss, and if you are Jesus He will give you power over sin and death, before seating you at His right hand. Our God is true, loving, and good; He will never abandon us and will always come for us when we are lost. Dry your tears... hold firm to His Word... Jesus is coming.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for your Word, your goodness, your faithfulness, and your love. I thank you for the redemption we have in the blood of your Son Jesus, and in the knowledge that although we might sometimes feel lost in the world, that you have not abandoned us, and Jesus is coming for us. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who is with us always, and never ceases to love us. Great are you who can find every wayward sheep, and who rejoices as He carries us back to His flock. Praised be your name for your steadfast goodness, mercy, and grace. All glory is yours Holy Father, for there is no wilderness too vast, forest too dark, or sin too vile, that you can’t rescue us from it. Hail to our God who removes all fear, dries every tear, and brings us peace and hope.
“Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you."”
Isaiah 35:4 ESV
Rich Forbes