Unknowingly Lost
For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. – Matthew 18:11 NKJV.
My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. – Job 23:11 NKJV.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. – Psalm 1:6 NKJV.
Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. – Psalm 25:4 NKJV.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. – Psalm 37:23 NKJV.
As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel! – Psalm 125:5 NKJV.
So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. – Proverbs 2:20 NKJV.
A man in China working on a temporary job some 1,000 miles from home decided that he wanted to go home for the Chinese New Year celebrations. He was in the Shandong Province and his home is in the Heilongjiang Province. Since he did not have the money to travel by train or bus he began the journey on his bicycle. Thirty days later he was stopped by traffic police, and he learned the sad truth that he had been pedaling in the wrong direction 300 miles. So now this poor man was 1,300 miles away from home.
How did this happen? The Chinese man cannot read, so being unable to read maps or signs he depended upon verbal directions from those he passed on the way. Those directions were wrong! Thankfully, the police officers and staff at the toll station bought the man a ticket home. (China Daily 01.24.17; BBC 01.25.17)
Have you ever been physically lost not knowing for sure where you were at, or how to go back to your home or to your hotel? It can be very frustrating and tiring to learn you are far off course, or have been going in the wrong direction for hours. It is less likely for that to occur in these times with GPS, although they are not always accurate, and can lead you the wrong way. Also, we have cellphones, and can call and ask for directions.
Spiritually, there are ways that you can be lost, and not be aware of your being lost. The worst spiritual way to be lost is to not have Jesus as your Savior. As Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus is the “way” to eternal life and there is no other “way.” I heard Charles Stanley say Sunday that the worst thing that can happen to a person is to go out into eternity without Christ as Savior. He also said the best decision that a person can make in life is to receive Jesus as their Savior. This is truth!
Once you know Jesus as your Savior, you can become lost from God’s plan (way) for your life. The Psalmist says in Psalm 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.” If that is your situation you should pray as the Psalmist in Psalm 5:8, “Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.” However, sometimes you may not even know you are not following God’s plan (way) for your life. I believe I was in that situation for many years. Only by seeking God through His Word and prayer can you know for sure you are on the right track with your life. It should be a continual prayer for us to pray for God to lead us in His righteousness to fulfill His plan, will, and purpose in our lives to the ultimate degree.