Growing up we camped with several other families. It was always fun and we were all about the same age but I was the only girl 90% of the time. One particular trip we went to Kings Dominion amusement park and also went to Washington DC. I was around eight years old when we went to the Capital and it was very crowded. All of a sudden, I did not see anyone in our group. I panicked and then did the worse thing....I started running around in a panic and got all out of sorts (southern for acting crazy!) I was crying but finally saw our group - a big group with lots of kids! I remember I ran to them and it should have been like a movie - slow motion - everyone running to me crying so happy to see me. Ok, that is a little dramatic so me running to my family and at least Mom and Dad running to me with arms outstretched! This is how it went. I ran to them crying and no one noticed! No one had noticed I was missing. All of 10 minutes max! No one knew I was lost! I stayed quiet because I did not want to cry in front of the boys.
The good news is that God knows where we are all of the time. Even if we do not know where we are - God knows! He knows where we are physically, emotionally and spiritually! He cares! Some of us have been lost physically but all of us have been spiritually lost at some point. Maybe we have lost ourselves due to poor choices and bad circumstances. Maybe we do not have an excuse of why we are lost. No matter the reasons, God wants us to come to Him. He wants us to bring all of our burdens to Him.
Even Jesus struggled with God's will for His life. He did not want to die on the cross and He felt God had forgotten about Him. Matthew 27: 46, "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" He said these words as He hung on the cross. God had not forgotten about His only begotten Son. If Jesus had those feelings of course we will. It is ok to have had those thoughts but now you know He will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13: 5, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" He is always waiting on us to call out for Him. He is there.
God wants us to open our hearts to Him. He knows our hearts already. He knows what we are doing at all times. He knows when we are home and when we are far away. He even knows what we are going to say before we say it. Ouch! He goes before us and follows us. There is no where we can go that He is not with us! Psalm 139: 5-12, "You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.'"
God loves us so much that He will never give up searching for us until we are found! When we are lost and then found there is great rejoicing! You will know you were missed! Luke 15: 32, "But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." And we are told again in Luke 15: 10, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
If you are feeling lost or have turned your back on God, it is never too late to repent and be found by Him. He is calling. He is waiting. Luke 15: 4, "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" Yes He does. He is looking for the lost all of the time! A search that is not called off due to time, weather, conditions or anything! Luke 15: 7, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Is He searching for you?
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