The Pastor’s Blog – LOST LAKE

This week Lise and I hiked around this little gem called Lost Lake. Now the name baffles me. We found it easily – there was a road to it called Lost Lake Road! And looking at how worn the path was around the lake, thousands of other people also discovered this lake. So how lost was it? I tried to find an answer on how this lake got its name but found no answer. If you know the story, I would love to hear it.

The name did trigger some thoughts about the notion of what it means to be lost. Obviously this lake was not lost in the sense that it was misplaced. Neither was it a place no one could find. Maybe someone forgot to draw it on a map at one time, and it was lost that way. Or maybe long before there were roads in the area people did try to find it, and found it difficult to locate. I do not know.

This led me to ask, what does it mean when scripture says we are lost? In Luke 15:1-7 we read about the lost sheep, and how a shepherd is willing to leave ninety-nine sheep behind to go find the one lost sheep. The lost sheep in the parable is you, and it is me. It is every person for “we all like sheep have wondered away… (Isaiah 53:6).

Does this mean God did not know where we were? No, for we are always under the watchful eye of the Lord. So in what sense are we lost? It is in this: we have wandered away from God. We are looking to find happiness and purpose and help in all the wrong places. We are lost. We are walking in spiritual darkness when Jesus is inviting us to walk in the light.

This means people can be in a crowd and still lost. They can be in the most familiar of places – their homes, the place they grew up, their place of business – and still be lost. The only way to be “found” is to call out to Jesus to rescue you. And gladly He comes to your rescue, hearing your cry for forgiveness, bringing you home to Him. When you are with Jesus, you are never lost. You are home.

– Pastor Gary

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