It’s easy to get lost, especially in huge and unfamiliar places. Take our entire world for example. Unless you’ve travelled extensively everywhere, the vast majority of the world would be easy to get lost in. Getting lost is either scary for some or is an adventure for others. It depends on your perspective.
However there’s a different side of “getting lost” which many believers find heartbreaking and painful. It’s when we witness a loved one loose his or her way away from path the Lord had laid out for them. We aren’t scared for ourselves but for someone who we deeply love and have no control over.
In Luke, chapter 15 we are reminded of various paths the enemy has created in our big world and the catalyst he used to divert our lost loved ones onto one of his paths of destruction.
In the parable of the lost sheep (v: 1-7) the sheep wandered away. Perhaps your loved one got distracted with something he/she was curious about. It seemed innocent but wasn’t and it led them astray.
In the parable of the lost coin (v: 8-10) the coin got lost through negligence of the woman stewarding it. Maybe it was an area of your loved one’s life that he/she wasn’t protecting—like his or her choice of a friendship with someone who wasn’t a good influence.
Then in the parable of the lost son, the son intentionally left thinking life was better outside the will of his father. Pride and rebellion could have risen up in their spirits causing them to leave.
Though the enemy has established many paths to follow that can lead us away from God, God’s Word also reminds us of the ways He helps us and our lost loved ones find their way back.
In the parable of the lost sheep the shepherd leaves all the others to pursue the one who wandered. Jesus will continue to pursue our lost ones.
In the parable of the lost coin the woman takes time to carefully search for the lost coin, acknowledging the importance of its value. Our lost ones are not devalued because they got lost. Jesus treasures them just the same and will seek them out.
And in the parable of the lost son the father saw his son returning and welcomed him back—offering forgiveness. God’s most beautiful gift to us—is Son, is waiting for their return with an offering of forgiveness.
The truth I find most comforting here is that no matter which of the many paths of the enemy your loved one took, Jesus is ready to show them back to the single, well-lit path that was laid out for them by our loving Father. Pray and wait. The blessing is coming in God’s timing.
