Lost and Found

Have you ever lost something?  Maybe you misplaced your cell phone, a wallet, or a set of keys?  Did you ever get lost on the way to your destination because of a wrong turn or missing an important street sign?  Perhaps you lost an important file on your computer due to a power surge.  There are many things in life that are easily lost.  Small items roll underneath the seat in the car, items fall between the sofa cushions, and important papers become lost in the shuffle of incoming papers.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, children often find themselves lost in a grocery store or at a mall.  Hopefully someone comes along who can help them find their parents, alleviating the panic and distress caused by the unexpected separation of parent and child.  Without doubt, inexplicable joy ensues when the lost is found!

Even the Bible tells stories of people losing things.  Take the shepherd who loses his sheep, for example.  He leaves ninety-nine sheep behind just to find the lost little lamb.  What about the women who lost one of her silver coins?  After finding it, she calls her friends and neighbors over for a celebration.  One man spends all of his money on prostitutes and wild living.  He gets to the point where he even craves a meal of pig’s food, due to lack of food during famine.  Finally, he returns home.  He asks his dad to make him a servant because he is no longer worthy to be called a son.  Instead of become angered, his dad says, “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:23-24 NIV).

In the same way that the shepherd, the woman, and the father rejoice at finding what was lost, the angels in Heaven rejoice when a man or woman gives their life to Christ.  The Bible says, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7 NIV).  When someone makes the decision to serve the Lord with all of their heart, they become a child of God.  Unlike the child who may find themselves lost in a sea of strangers, as Christians, we are never lost.  We are never out of the embrace of His loving arms.  Amid so much separation in this world, I am thankful to know that nothing can separate us from the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  What an amazing promise.  No matter what we encounter in life, we will always have the love of God.  Whether storms, wars, or other calamities surround us, we can rest assured that we are inseparable from the vast power and love of Jesus Christ.

Through every circumstance that life throws our way, Jesus will send His angels to encamp around us, protecting us from harm.  Why?  Because that is how much He loves us.  I John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Christ gave His life for us.”  Love is more than a word.  It is an action.  Christ did not die on the cross to gain notoriety nor to prove a point.  Jesus Christ died to cleanse our sins, to redeem us, and to give us life everlasting in Heaven with Him.  If you had been the only person on the face of this earth, Christ would still have given His life for you.

No matter where you are today, you are not out of the reach of the love of Jesus Christ.  You may be in a prison, a hospital, or even a war-torn village.  Wherever you are, no matter what you’ve done, Jesus Christ loves you.  Call on the name of Jesus Christ and you will find redemption through Him.  Salvation comes only through the one true living God.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

Don’t wait until tomorrow, for it may be too late.  Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart.  It is the most important decision you will ever make.  Stop living your life, feeling as if you are lost in a sea of despair.  There is hope in Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus, the lost is found and sorrow turns to joy!  Just like the little child who goes astray and is reunited their parents, today is the day when you can be united with your Heavenly Father.  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the most priceless gift anyone could ever receive.  And it is a gift that you cannot misplace and better yet, no one can take it away from you!  Nothing will ever separate you from the infinite love of Jesus Christ!

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer

Searching

Not too long ago, I spent quite a bit of time searching for one particular item.  I thought I knew where I had left it, but surely enough, it was not there.  Nearly an hour had passed, yet I had not located the item in question.  Finally, I gave up and decided to end my search.  It seems quite odd now, when I think about it, since I cannot even recall what the item was.  Something so insignificant now, but at the time, it seemed to be the answer to all of my problems.  Still, I could not find it, whatever it was.  And now, it doesn’t really matter at all.  Nonetheless, there are things in life that do matter.  Often, these things we search for are the keys to pivotal moments in our life.  Sometimes, finding these things is an easy task.  And other times, much like my experience with the unidentified object, the item we need seems unattainable, out of reach, and possibly lost forever.

What about you?  Are you searching for something?  Perhaps you are looking for something far beyond a missing sock, earring, or newspaper clipping.  You may be longing for your future husband, wife, or children.  Maybe you wish you had a home of your own.  Or it could be that all you really want to find is rest for your weary soul.  You may be holding on to the end of your rope, not even able to search for the things you need.  The disappointment and fear you have encountered in life could have you trapped, unable to find safety from your precarious position.  I am here to tell you that there is a way out.  As someone once said, when you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.  Hold on and call out to Jesus.  He is the One who can find exactly what you need.

No matter what you are searching for, Jesus Christ can find it for you.  There is nothing in all Creation that is beyond the reach of our Heavenly Father.  He knows when you will marry and who you will marry.  He knows if and when you will have children.  In fact, He even knows their names.  He knows when you will close the deal on a home of your own, or if it is better for you to remain where you are for now.  And without doubt, He can restore your weary soul.  Nothing is beyond His mercy and grace.  He can breathe new life into you, motivating you to enjoy the life you have been given.  He wants you to experience a renewal of joy, a blossoming of hope, and a bounty of peace.  Don’t suffer any longer, searching in vain for the things you desire.  Present your requests to God.  He will give you what you need and so much more.  All you have to do is ask.

God’s Word says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)  Notice that this scripture does not say that we should wait for God to come to us and give us what we need.  Instead, it says that we should ask.  He wants to give us our heart’s desires, but we must go to Him and present our requests.  All He asks is that we talk to Him.  He wants to hear our voice.  He longs to listen to our problems, whether big or small.  He wants to help us find the things that are missing from our life.  It does not say that we should get into a frenzy, upset over something that is lost.  Rather, it says that we should seek the things that are lost so that they may be found.  Jesus will help us find the missing pieces in the puzzle of our life.  He knows where every piece is and He knows exactly where each piece belongs.

Finally, it does not say that we should wait for someone to open the door for us, meekly standing on the doorstep, never announcing our arrival.  When you go to a friend’s house, do you simply stand on their doorstep, wearing a hole in their welcome mat, hoping that someone will eventually notice your presence?  Certainly not.  Instead, we either knock or ring the doorbell, letting our friends know that we have arrived.  Likewise, Jesus does not want us to stand still, but instead, He wants us to knock.  If the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is on the other side of the door, wouldn’t you want to knock loudly, letting Him know that you desire His attention?  Jesus doesn’t want us to tiptoe and whisper in His presence, so as not to disturb Him.  It is His desire that all of His children should talk to Him daily, coming to the throne to tell Him our sorrows and joys.  Jesus loves us, and He welcomes our company.  As such, when we step up to His doorstep, so to speak, we should knock loudly.  When we knock, we can be assured that the door will be opened for us.

You see, God does not call us to be passive Christians.  God calls us to be active Christians.  He wants us to be proactive, always involved in the life He has so graciously given to us.  He doesn’t want us to sit on the back row, so to speak, watching our life flash before our eyes.  We cannot simply sit stagnant in one place, never claiming the promises that He has given.  We must reach out and claim them.  We need to be bold Christians.  God wants us to present our requests to Him.  If we need something, we are to ask!  If we lose something, we need to seek the Lord and then we will find what we are searching for.  If we are standing at the door, unsure of whether we should knock, we need to knock loudly.  Do not hang at the end of your rope; instead, go inside the safety of His arms.  Jesus Christ is waiting for you to ask, seek, and knock.  He loves you, whether you are emotionally drained and hanging by a thread, or if you are confidently standing at the throne of grace.  Don’t spend your life searching.  Seek His face, and the things you are searching for will be found.

In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer