But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. -Luke 15:20
Panic seized me. My seven-year-old daughter Emery had become separated from us at an amusement park. Our large group had gone in different directions and met back at an intersection. Instead of stopping when we stopped, Emery kept walking, distracted by the bright lights of the amusement sights. When Emery realized we weren’t with her, she ran ahead, thinking we were ahead of her, but we were actually behind her. The fifteen minutes it took to find her seemed like an eternity. Thankfully, she went to someone she knew to trust, a security guard, and told him she was lost. He wiped her tears and encouraged her, assuring her that her parents would find her. He put her up on a high wall so that we could see her above the crowd. Lifting her up was a brilliant idea because we spotted her from the distance and were reunited.
There have been times in my life when I became separated from God. I don’t mean in a spiritual sense of eternal standing but separated from close intimacy with Him. Once we are believers, we are never separated from His love (Romans 8:38,39), and nothing we do can remove us from His hand because it is the divine power of Christ that keeps us secure, not our own works (John 10:28-30). There are, however, times when we wander, take our eyes off Jesus, and get lost, as Emery had taken her eyes off us and become lost. It could be the distraction of bright lights of amusement. It could be running ahead of the place God has for us. When we realize we are missing the fellowship of our Father, we wonder how did we get here? How do we find Him again? Is He angry at us for our mistakes?
As Emery realized she needed help and found someone she could trust, we as believers can do the same. Finding an accountability partner, Christian friends, or a trusted pastor can help us get back on track. The body of Christ exists because we need one another. Hebrews 10:23-24 says “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” One way to hold unswervingly, to stay on track, is to find a community of believers to spur us on.
As the security guard lifted Emery up on that wall, we can lift each other up by a wall of prayer. We didn’t scold Emery when we found her. We embraced her. God does the same for us. Luke 15 tells three parables- the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, all showing the forgiveness of the Father who welcomes the wanderer back with celebration. He is relentlessly pursuing us, searching for our return because He loves us with an unfailing love. God is always yearning for our returning. May our wanderings become fewer and our intimacy become deeper as we keep our sights on Him.
FOR REFLECTION:
What bright lights of amusement distract you from the closeness of your Father?
Who can you trust to encourage you to stay on track?
Who do you need to lift up and encourage today?
Are you by His side, seeking your way back, or still wandering in the wrong direction?
Dear God, I thank you for your compassion and unfailing love. Forgive me for the times I have wandered from your side. I don’t want to be distracted by the amusements of the world. Help me to connect with others so that I can both encourage and be encouraged. If I wander, may I hear your voice calling me back so that I don’t lose sight of you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
