Seeking and Saving

 

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

—Luke 19:10

Once many years ago, I wandered outside at night in rural Florida. It was a very warm and humid September evening. Clouds had rolled in from the ocean. There were no street lights or other manmade illumination.

As I walked along a rural dirt road, suddenly my flashlight died. I have never experienced such complete darkness. I literally could see nothing. There was no light of any kind. I was on a stretch of road where there were no houses. A swamp stretched for many thousands of yards on each side of the road.

For many minutes I stood frozen in place. I was completely lost in the blackness of night. I began to feel panic rising within me.

I tried my flashlight again. It wouldn't turn on. I was afraid to take a step in any direction. Many minutes passed.

After what seemed like an eternity, but what was more likely only twenty minutes or so, I heard a vehicle coming in the distance. Soon I saw headlights and then the familiar face of my host.

“We were worried about you,” my host explained.

“I’m glad you were,” I replied. “My flashlight died and I was lost in the darkness.”

Everyone of us was once lost in the blackest darkness of sin. Then, the Holy Spirit came to our rescue and revealed God’s loving plan of salvation.

Dr. Luke records Jesus’ own words in Luke 19:10:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

What wonderfully reassuring words. Jesus came to our rescue. He brought the saving light of His love into the darkness of our sin-stained world.

An old gospel hymn, “Victory in Jesus,” includes these words: “He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood.”

As we begin a new day, let us rejoice that Jesus went looking for us when we were lost in sin and paid the price for our redemption.

 

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