Good Saturday morning! We expect another snowstorm today. Praise the Lord! You stand on the edge of a city. The sign says "Welcome to Metropolis!" The GPS display indicates the latitude and longitude coordinates are correct for Metropolis, and the map data agrees with the coordinates. The only problem is that you are standing outside Lostopia. Earthly indicators can be wrong. A thing may sound good, but it is not in agreement with scripture. The believers in Berea checked with the scripture when a new preacher showed up. You and I must do the same.
Another example comes in the final judgment. Jesus told of those who would appear with a complete resume of good works, only to be told that He knew them not. Convinced they have found the right place, the people will appear before the throne to be told that they are lost indeed. The world encourages us to find ourselves. Lost folks are good with that, "I'm right here!" being the most common response. As a lost sheep, we must be found. It does us no good to holler out that we are right here at the end of this box canyon. The location is correct in form, but does no one any good.
It is fun that the first step to reconciliation in Christ is to state the truth, "I'm lost!" The Good Shepherd immediately finds us and brings us back to the Father's herd. Of course the journey back to the herd might be long and difficult, depending on how lost the sheep has become in his or her struggles to find themselves.
I wandered off to find myself,
Only to find myself lost.
The Shepherd found me
And led me home.
The journey home took a lifetime,
And only near the end did I see how lost I'd been.
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