I decided to go for just a “30 minute” walk one morning while I was visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I was familiar with the path I started out on, but I chose to take a different way home. The trouble is, the roads in their neighborhood and the surrounding area don’t exactly run east to west or north to south. On top of that, rather than running for several blocks across town, many of the streets around their home are just one or two block loops. So, taking just one slight turn (And I mean slight!) off of the path I needed to be on totally separated me from finding my way back home.
By the time I realized my mistake, I had been gone about 45-50 minutes. I had pushed myself too hard trying to run a while, and I was tired. I had been enjoying the sunshine, but I was thirsty. Even worse, when I looked at my surroundings, I realized that I was lost. Tired, thirsty, lost…
I entered my son’s address into an app on my phone. The outline of the route didn’t make sense, but I had no other choice than to follow the directions. My app told me to turn several times where there was no road to turn on. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way back. Though I was tempted to cut through yards where the app told me to turn, I wasn’t sure if that would actually get me back to the house. Plus, I was afraid of encountering a snake or getting in trouble for trespassing.
Finally, I began to recognize the street names again and arrived back 30 minutes later than I had originally planned. My hands were swollen, my mouth was dry, and my clothes were soaked. I treated myself to a tall glass of water, a much-needed shower and a fresh change of clothes. All was well once again.
I later thought about the whole (rather embarrassing) incident and wondered how many other people out there might be tired, thirsty and lost. Taking care of ourselves physically is important but taking care of ourselves emotionally and spiritually is important as well. In fact, our spiritual well-being is our most important need, because when our physical body wears out and dies, our soul will continue on either to heaven or hell.
When we try to get through life in a way contrary to how God created us to operate, we become spiritually tired and worn. We might try to achieve inner peace by doing good deeds and striving to be recognized as a “good person,” but we can never find true rest unless we repent of our sin and surrender our lives to our Creator. Jesus beckons, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). Jesus invites us to be yoked to him, to learn from him and to find rest for our souls. When we repent and surrender our lives to Jesus, he sets things right with us and fills us with the Holy Spirit to help us live the way God intended.
We can also be spiritually thirsty and might not even realize it. God created a beautiful world for us, and this world does have a lot to offer. Yet, we must realize that there is really nothing on earth that will satisfy the deepest longing in our heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) says, that God “has planted eternity in the human heart.” Until we quench the thirst of our soul, we will continue to long and to thirst for something more, something eternal. Again, Jesus invites us, as he did the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Lastly, we can be spiritually lost, which is the worst kind of lost there is. Maybe you are so lost that you feel like you could never be accepted by God. Dear friend, this is not true. In Luke 15, Jesus gives us hope as he shares parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.
Jesus talks about an owner of 100 sheep who leaves behind 99 to find the one who is lost. When the owner finds the lost sheep, he rejoices. Jesus says, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Next Jesus tells about a woman with 10 coins who searches diligently when she loses one of them. She is so excited when she finds it. Again, Jesus comments, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
And then, Jesus shares one of my favorite stories. He tells about a self-centered son who asks for his inheritance early, leaves his father and wastes all of his money on wild living. When the money is gone, he gets a job feeding pigs and is so hungry that he wants to eat the pods he is feeding them. He finally decides to return to his father, apologize and ask if his dad will hire him as one of his servants. And here my friend, is the BEAUTIFUL part of the story….
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’” Yet the father welcomes him back and even throws him a big party. The father rejoices saying that his son, “was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
We are all on a journey. There will be good times and difficult times. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t wandered away from God. We’ve all taken a wrong turn (or two, or several). But 2 Peter 3:9 assures us that God wants no one to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.
So, if you are finding yourself, tired, thirsty and lost, read Luke 15. Listen for Jesus’ invitation, and know that God’s desire is that you repent and return to him. He will welcome you back into his arms where you belong.
