January 3, 2011
What Does It Mean to be Lost?
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10 NIV).
Friend to Friend
It was our first trip to Disney World and my video camera was poised to capture those precious memories. But the video didn't start out as I had planned. As it begins, we're in some type of welcoming center where children are running around climbing on various objects, crawling through tunnels, and swinging from monkey bars. As the "movie" comes into view, the first thing I see is my husband, Steve, running toward the camera, his face growing larger and larger until it fills the frame.
"Where's Steven," he cries. "I can't find him anywhere!"
Then the screen goes blank.
What a way to start our vacation! Steven had wandered away, climbed into one of those tunnels and had yet to emerge. Of course we panicked. Who wants to lose their kid at Disney World? Of course we found him. He had no idea he was even lost.
Ah, did that last sentence give you pause? He had no idea he was even lost…
Even as I wrote it, God quickly reminded me that I was in the same situation. There is no one more lost than someone who doesn't even know that he is lost. I had no idea I was lost, and yet my Heavenly Father found me.
Lost. It is still very relative to the human condition. What does it mean to be lost? How did we get into this situation of such lostness, darkness, and emptiness? It all began in the Garden of Eden when man chose to disobey God and sever their relationship. The Bible tells us, from the very moment Eve sunk her teeth into the forbidden fruit, and every person has been born with a live body and soul, but a dead spirit - separated from God. Rejected. But God did not leave us that way. As soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the shadow of the cross appeared on the horizon and God began to unfold His magnificent redemptive plan.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed, they hid from God. When He came looking for them in the cool of the evening, He asked the first question recorded in the Bible…Where are you? That question runs like a scarlet thread from Genesis through Revelation.
Where are you? No matter what you've done, no matter how far you've strayed from His perfect plan for your life, He is always in pursuit of you. We come into this world lost, separated from God, wandering around looking for something, and yet not even sure what that something is. All you have to do is come out from hiding and say…Here I am, Lord.
From Genesis through Revelation, we see that plan unfurl right before our eyes. In my next devotion, I'll look at what it means to be saved. The book of Romans outlines the steps of salvation beautifully. We're going to take a walk down the Romans Road to discover how to move from rejected to accepted…how to receive the gift of eternal life in the future and abundant life today.
Let's Pray
Dear Lord, Thank You for pursuing me, for finding me, and for saving me. I was so lost and didn't even know it. Thank You for rescuing me even in my ignorance.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
How would you describe what it means to be spiritually "lost"?
To be "lost" is one of those church words that many Christians would have a difficult time describing. Let's get a good handle on what it really means rather than simply saying the word.
Let's think of some other words that describe what "lost" means to someone who isn't familiar with the concept. Go to www.sharonjaynes.com/facebook and share your answers. I'll start. Here is one word I think that describes being spiritually lost…empty.
More from the Girlfriends
Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's book, I'm Not Good Enough…and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves. If you have believed the enemy's lies that you are not good enough, totally worthless, would be happy if…, etc. and are ready to begin living in victory by believing God's truth, then this book is for you! It's time to be set free to see yourself as God see you: His holy, chosen, forgiven, and dearly loved child. Now that's a truth worth repeating.
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