Lost and Found

Merry Christmas, everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying the season with family and friends, enjoying a break from school, and are enjoying time remembering why Jesus came!

I am sorry I haven't written a blog post in a long time. College work is fun (especially the writing classes I'm taking), but it's a bit of a burden - one I hope to cast off in July! Then there's family life, work, and balancing the social life (who said homeschoolers were unsocialized??). But there's another reason I haven't posted in a while. What I have been studying recently, I do not completely understand. I don't have all the answers. But you know what? I realized this morning that this is pride holding me back. Who says I have to have all the answers? When have I ever had all the answers??

So...here goes... :)

I was inspired to study the parable in Luke 15 when I got to work on the movie set of an upcoming Christian film "A Long Way Off" - a modern day retelling of the prodigal son story.

In Luke 15, Jesus is teaching to a large crowd, and many "sinners" have gathered around him. The pharisees are miffed that Jesus accepts, what they consider, "unclean" people. Then Jesus tells the three parables:

First is the parable of the lost sheep.
Second is the parable of the lost coin.
Third is the parable of the "lost" son (or the prodigal son).

The point that Jesus' seems to be illustrating is that these "sinners" are merely lost souls in need of finding. God longs for these lost ones to return that He may forgive them. But wait...doesn't it sound like God is also seeking us? Seeking the lost lamb? Seeking the lost coin? Looking down the road? So, I know there are a lot of verses talking about us seeking God, but are there any other verses that talk about God seeking us?

Granted, I didn't scour the whole Bible, but on the initial search, I found two verses that talk about God seeking:

Psalm 119:176 - "I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant for I have not forgotten your commands."

 This is David, recognizing his sin, and...asking God to seek him? I'm still not sure what that would've looked like in the Old Testament. But the other verses certainly made things clear in my mind:

Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost." And another verse that is similar to it: "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick...for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mt. 9:12, 13b)

The seeking God did was sending His son! Wow, I wasn't expecting this to tie back into Christmas, but...hey, whatever works! ;-)

So here is the application point I got out of this study today - if it ever feels like we're the one pulling the weight, and we're having to do all the seeking, just remember the awesome (literal) work of seeking God did was much harder than anything we'll have to do!!

Honestly, I don't truly understand this love. It's always been hard for me to understand and accept unconditional love (from God, family, and friends), and I admit, I often question, "Why me? I don't deserve anything!" That is why I'm studying this right now, and like I said, I don't understand it all.

But there's something that smacks me upside the head about the image of the righteous father running out to meet his wicked, perverted son...and throwing his arms around him in love. And yes, I'm crying as I write this because it's amazing, and it doesn't make sense. However:

" 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.' " (Isaiah 55:9-10)

And that is why God is God and no one else!!!

~~~

Again, Merry Christmas! Also, here's one of my favorite hymns (that really should be a Christmas song!) called, "Because He Lives" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M-zwE33zHA

In Christ,
Ellie

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