Lost in Georgia

Jesus is the One who has come to seek and save the lost, and we can trust in His hand of mercy to bring people who have strayed from the Lord home to Himself.   In Luke 19, we see that Jesus ministered to the "wee little man", Zacchaeus, and we pick up the story in verse 8:
8Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."9And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;10for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

He has come to seek and save - this applies, I believe, to those who do not know the Lord, and it is also applicable to people who have lost their way, even if they know Christ.   God delights in finding people who are lost.   It is certainly a helpless feeling to lose something or to be lost - when attempting to find a location when driving, or even locating something that we need to find.    I am thankful that God knows who and where we are, and is available to lead us home.

I'm reminded of Luke 15, where we see 3 stories of what is lost being found - a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a prodigal son.   We can have confidence that God is seeking us out, to bring us into a knowledge of Christ, if we do not have a relationship with Him, and if we have lost our way, to bring us into His perfect will.

The apostle Paul recognized the Lord's hand upon his life, even in a period where it seems that he was alone:
(17) the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.18And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. 

I was delighted to read the news on Friday night that well-known Bible teacher Dr. Henry Blackaby had been found after having been missing for 29 hours.    He went missing on Thursday afternoon - he was on his way to pick up his wife, Marilynn, from an appointment when he suffered a possible heart attack.  This began a huge misadventure, as he then became confused and ultimately was pulled over by police near Tifton, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta.

A statement on the Blackaby Ministries International website said, "He did not have his cell phone with him nor insulin for his diabetes. As a result, his blood sugar rose and his kidneys began to struggle as well. The family was able to track his movements as he used a credit card to make occasional purchases. The police assigned a detective group to monitor his movements and to track him down. Hundreds of volunteers, many from his church at First Baptist Church Jonesboro, GA drove all over the city looking for him. He is currently in a hospital undergoing extensive tests."

The statement added, "It is clear that God heard and answered the prayers of His people! Thank you to everyone who prayed and helped in the search."

Son Richard tweeted out: "Quadruple bypass surgery on Tuesday. 70-100% blockages. Possible earlier heart attack. He has been empowered by God!"

Wow - it is an amazing story of the Lord's faithfulness to this great man of God.  29 hours driving, not really knowing where he was going - the credit card receipts showed that he had driven down I-75, stopped to get gas in Perry, GA, then across to Fitzgerald, maybe a reversal of direction, and then to Tifton.   This could have been much, much worse.

It's a story that brings to mind a number of different issues - physical, emotional, and spiritual - that could apply to each of us.

One is practical care for the elderly.  This is one of those life-aftering seasons, and we can pray for Blackaby family as they deal with not only some of Dr. Blackaby's health issues, but also the logistics of caring for him in light of his health concerns, like diabetes, as well as the condition of his heart.   There may have to be changes made in his care.

But beyond some of the physical implications of this series of events, we are reminded of the power of unified prayer.   People began to gather at First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, which is outside of Atlanta, where Dr. Blackaby's son, Mel is senior pastor - they were praying and what son Richard described as "hundreds of volunteers" went forward to search for his father.   Christian leaders all across America were lending their prayer support and taking to Twitter to spread the word.    Law enforcement was definitely engaged as well, plus Atlanta news operations were on the case.  There was an outpouring of prayer, love, and support, and the community of faith was diligent in calling out to God.

We can also think about the helplessness of lostness and the security of Christ.    Henry Blackaby was physically lost, it seems, but he certainly was not spiritually lost.   Who knows what may have been going through his mind during those 29 hours, but I would imagine that more than once there was a helpless feeling - away from home, but not exactly knowing how to get back.   The family and friends involved in Atlanta were also at a loss, but they had powerful resources in the situation - they, of course, had prayer, they had numbers, and while Dr. Blackaby did not have a cell phone, he did have a trail that he left by his frequent stops for gas or refreshment on Friday afternoon and evening.

When we wander, we can recognize that our route can be checked and that God knows who and where we are and He can lead us home.   When we are spiritually lost, we recognize that Jesus has come to seek and save the lost - He knows the way to the Father, and will draw us unto Himself.  And, in our own lives, if we know the Lord, but have somehow lost our way, we know that He is with us, He travels with us even in our most desperate circumstances, and He will make a way out and show us the way back.   Even if we feel lost in our walk through this life, we can turn to Christ, the One who walks with us.