If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Have you ever experienced that frantic feeling of losing something that was extremely important? The situation usually begins with your heart racing when the lost item can not be located, but things quickly escalate to sheer panic once you retrace your steps and realize the item is truly missing. Occasionally, it’s a document that I’m certain I had just touched; frequently, it’s my glasses; often it’s my phone; and more times than I care to admit…it’s my car keys. However, I have found that sometimes it is easier to handle my own missing items than to helplessly watch someone you love go through the turmoil of not being able to locate something that is imperative!
Last summer, our entire family was blessed to travel on a vacation to Florida together. One afternoon, an intense Florida summer storm encouraged all of us to frequent the local movie theater. The chilly air conditioning was a welcome relief from the scorching heat as everyone enjoyed the featured film. However, as all nine of us were exiting the theater, my husband who usually is always calm, cool, and collected came sprinting towards me with a look of horror on his face. “I’ve lost my wallet!” he professed, as he ran past me and back into the theater. Immediately, everyone followed him as I decided to run to the front office to see if anyone had turned in a lost wallet. All of us reconvened back into the theater, only to learn that no one had been successful at locating the missing wallet. As the reality of lost driver’s license, credit cards, cash, and other personal items danced through each of our heads, Ken announced that he just wanted to examine the seating area one more time. Guided by the lights of all of our phones, Ken once again searched under the seat, and we all jumped when he suddenly shouted, "I see it!" Standing upright and wedged within the seat mechanism that was the exact color of the wallet, Ken was finally able to see the camouflaged wallet! As everyone released a sigh of relief, Ken professed an audible and sincere, “Thank you Jesus!”
It is such a welcomed relief to locate lost items! However, just as all of us were elated that the lost wallet had been found, the Lord knew that we were lost people that needed to be found, so He sent us a Savior to rescue us from our sinful nature. As a result, “God so loved the whole world, the He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16)."
Yesterday, the Lenten season began. During these next 40 days of Lent, may God bless you with precious opportunities to study His Word and realize just how much He loves you and rejoices when those who are lost in sin return back to Him.
Have a wonderful week remembering "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
In Jesus' Love,
Mrs. Palka