Are you lost? If you were, would you know it? Would someone come searching for you? In today's writing, "LOST," we read about being lost and how it could turn out.
Blessings,
Jan
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Today's Devotional:
"LOST"
by
Jan Andersen
As a child were you ever lost? It can be a very frightening experience. When you are young and in an unfamiliar place you generally have your parent or some other adult with you who knows the way. But if you somehow lose sight of that person and have no idea where you are, you probably start to panic. You frantically search with your eyes for that familiar face, and you might start walking around looking for them or freeze and start to cry. Your mind races to the thought of never seeing that person again or knowing how to get home alone. Eventually you are reunited with the adult, and your fears hopefully are calmed.
As adults we may not become so panicked when physically lost, especially if we have access to GPS or a map of some sort. But we also can become spiritually lost. It could be as simple as being misled by a false teaching or falling away from regular gathering together with other believers. But these things can lead to greater wandering. The furthest astray we could become would be to completely lose our faith in God. Unfortunately, when we are spiritually lost we often don’t even realize it. At least when we are physically lost we generally are aware and therefore are searching to get back on the right track. But when spiritually lost we may not even be looking to return to the right path unless we begin to suffer because of it and make the connection, or someone leads us back. Fear of returning may even occur, because of being afraid what others might say or the looks we may get. There may even be doubt that God would want us back, that He could every forgive us of our terrible mistakes, or that He might be angry or even strike us dead if we tried to return.
This could not be further from the truth! All of us go astray every day, every time we sin. As we come to God "sheepishly," full of guilt but also the desire to turn away from our wrongs, our sin is wiped away as He forgives us yet again, every time. God always forgives us when we are truly sorry and repentant. Not only that, He welcomes us back with open arms. Just like in the story about the shepherd who had 100 sheep. If he loses one of them he goes out searching for the lost one and rejoices when he finds it! God isn’t just waiting for us to return on our own. He is actively with us and leading us back. He doesn’t want a single soul to be lost.
Matthew 18:12-14 ESV What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for guiding and protecting me and for bringing me back into your flock when I stray yet again. No matter how many times or what I have done to turn away, You continue to love and forgive me and seek me out to turn me back. Undeserved though it be, your grace and mercy are ever with me. Help me to witness this to the world! In the name of the Good Shepherd, Jesus I pray. Amen.
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Song:
CRY TO THE SHEPHERD
Kevin Green
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Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries
Blog writers:
Sandy Billingham, Karen Bennett,
Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,
Bre Miller, Lynda Kinnard, Amie Spruiell,
Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Steficek,
Jan Andersen and Corinne Mustafa
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