Like I’m sure many of you, Penny and I were recently jolted out of a deep sleep when one of those Amber Alerts came blaring out of her phone. In the moment, it’s frustrating because it’s such an unwelcome intrusion. It’s not like there’s anything I’m really going to do about a child abducted many miles away in the wee hours of the night. So we eventually went back to sleep. But if I were the frantic parent I would do anything to try to find my missing child! Later that day, the report went out that the child was found. I can’t imagine the joyful relief & celebration.
Have you ever lost your child out in public–in a crowd, at the store, or in a park? It’s terrifying. We were at Cedar Point years ago in the waterpark area, and couldn’t find our younger son. We looked all over, covered a lot of ground, scanning through a lot of people. Turns out he was in the wave pool having a great time. He didn’t even realize he was lost. Panic immediately turned to peace.
How does our Heavenly Father feel when we’re lost? People don’t even realize they’re lost as they’re just going about their lives. But the Bible tells us that when we sin against God, it creates a distance with God. We wander away into lostness, wondering about that deep-down sense of alienation. Many take offense at being called “lost”: “I’m not lost…I don’t need guidance–I’m OK, I’ll find my own way, thank you. I’ll make it to heaven on my own.” Meanwhile, God’s been on a search mission. He went to great lengths by leaving heaven to come to earth “to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
One of Jesus’ most famous stories (parables) is about the Prodigal Son. What’s a prodigal? It comes from a Latin word that means “to drive away”–that is, to “squander or waste.” It’s a story about a young man who squandered his father’s wealth, & was wasting his life. He crassly asks his father for inheritance money. What an awful thing to do–it’s like saying, “I want your money, & I’m not willing to wait till you die.” Dad consents, & lets him convert part of his property into cash. The young man goes off to live a profligate lifestyle until he loses it all. In desperation to keep from starving he takes the lowliest job there was–feeding pigs. Things go so bad, he wishes that he could just eat what the pigs eat.
At rock bottom, he decides there’s nothing else he can do but swallow his pride, return home, & apologize. Dreading the prospect of a father who had every right to shun him, punish him, & cut him off, he’s surprised to see his father joyously run to him, embrace him & welcome him back with kisses, a feast, & gifts. It turns out Dad had been longing for this very thing. Jesus was giving us insight into the nature of God the Father’s love & mercy!
The father in the story said it was as if his son “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32). When we’re disconnected from God, we’re spiritually dead. But God loves & wants to reclaim you so much, He sent His Son, Jesus into the world to be the substitute who would bear the sins, die & experience the separation in our place so we could be restored & reconciled. And when someone who was lost, repents & is found, there’s rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:10).
Maybe you find yourself in the pig pen right now. God’s waiting for you with arms wide open to come to your senses & come home. He wants you to experience His “Amazing Grace” that so many others have experienced: “I was once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!” Or maybe it’s someone you know who’s a Prodigal, running & hiding from God. God calls you & me to join Him on his “seek & save” mission to find them.
Don’t let God’s spiritual “Amber Alert” annoy you–let it wake you to do something! Let’s not waste our lives on things that don’t really matter or last when people are the most valuable thing. Let’s not squander the opportunities God gives us to share the Good News! Who can you tell your testimony of God’s grace? There may be many people in your life that need Jesus, but who’s your 1 you can focus on? Who has God put in your path & on your heart to pray for? And even when you reach them, there’ll always be 1 More for Jesus!
“The 3’s Plan of Salvation” is a tool you should become familiar with: 3 Facts, 3 Responses, 3 Promises – southpoint.church/the-3s. I can’t wait for the celebration this Sunday, and the big celebration in heaven one day!