HAVE YOU WANDERED AWAY FROM HOME?

Have you ever been lost? How did it feel when you found yourself in unfamiliar territory? I’ve been lost on more than one occasion, and I can tell you from experience, it’s frightening! There are at least two reasons for the fear one experiences in an unfamiliar environment: first, it’s difficult to find one’s way back home, and second, there’s always the possibility of lurking danger.

When you wander away from home, it means you walked away from your original location aimlessly and kept going until you were farther away and had no idea how to get back. When lost, you can’t necessarily give someone the address to wherever you are, and for you to get back home, someone would literally have to come and find you. That someone would have to know his way around, and also be concerned about your well-being. What good would it be if the person cared about you but didn’t know how to find you, or knew his way around, but didn’t care what happened to you? Either way, you’d remain lost. Now the psalmist prayed a very strange prayer: “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me” (Psalm 119:176). You see, he admitted he wandered away, which means he knew where he was supposed to be—with the fold-- but wasn’t. He must have followed something that enticed him, and by the time he came to himself, he was away from the fold. How frightening!

Child of God, have you wandered away from God and the Church? What enticed you: what did you follow? Are you so attached to it that you can’t seem to find your way back home? Don’t despair: call on God just like the psalmist did, and He will be more than glad to come after you. He cares about you and knows exactly where you are and what got you there. But you know something? In order for Him to rescue you, you have to want to be rescued. He will gladly leave the rest of the fold and come after you; call on Him now!   

If you continue to wander around, you could become prey for the prowling animal, the devil, who is seeking to devour you. You need to get out of that situation as soon as possible. You need the Shepherd, and you need the fellowship of the fold. They miss you a lot, and are praying for you; call out to the Shepherd, and He will bring you back to the green pastures where you can graze to your heart’s content. He will also take you by the lake where the waters are calm and peaceful.

No matter what led you away, you should have discovered by now that whatever it was, did not exist, or if it does, it is not worth the trouble. You are missing a whole lot more than you could ever find out there. Remember, the Shepherd laid down His life for all of us. With that much sacrifice, He is able and willing to keep you safe. He, however, will not deliver you under duress! You have to want to be rescued, and you have to request it. Don’t wait much longer!