Lost But Found

"For this son of mine was [as good as] dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found.’ So, they began to celebrate" (Luke 15:24, Amp).

Recently at an Emmaus Walk Retreat, two of the ladies in my group went for a stroll after lunch by a peaceful lake. They wound around the lake talking, admiring the beauty of spring, and relishing in the warm sunshine of the day. They lost track of how long they had been gone and soon realized that they were not on the same path on which they had originally begun. They continued to wander through the woods trying to get a sense of direction only to become further distracted by some deer foraging amongst the terrain. As the deer eventually scurried away, they realized there were truly lost, and were not where they needed to be. Which path should they take? How long had they been gone? Where were they? By this time, others from the leadership team had begun to look for them. They knew they must be lost in the woods, for they were late for the upcoming session.

Sound familiar? Do we at times appear to be lost, wandering around aimlessly losing our sense of direction? Do we get caught up in the moments of life or distracted by things or events that divert our attention from where God wants us to be? Obviously, the answer is yes, we all do from time to time. We get lost, lose our true focus, and wander around looking to regain direction. However, we don't have to wander around aimlessly lost or distracted. We need only to look above for our necessary direction. We must allow God to be our direction, the true Compass of our lives.

Eventually, the ladies mentioned above, using the avenue of prayer and their God-given senses, found their way back. We were all so excited to share in their lost and found experience.

Won't you be found by the Father today? There is no need to remain lost and weary. He is waiting with open arms for you to be found. He will search you out when you feel lost, run to Him!

“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? (Matt. 18:12, Amp)

Father, we praise You for Your love and mercy. You search our hearts and prompt us home to You when we are lost. Thank You for finding us and bringing us back into Your fold. We adore You, Lord. Please help us to remain found in You. In Christ's Holy Name, Amen.