I was thinking today about what it means to be FOUND. I guess you'd first have to realize or admit that you are lost to see that you need to be found, because this can occur in any number of ways. Here are just a couple of examples:
1 Chronicles 28:9
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."
You can be FOUND by God seeking after you -
Luke 19:10
"For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."
Luke 15:3-7
"Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulder and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
You can be FOUND by choosing to participate in your family & church community -
Luke 15:24
"For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
1 Peter 4:7-10
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."
Whenever I've moved to a new place I've realized the loss I feel having left loved one behind, and like most of us I'm sure, that feeling of "loss" or of being lost doesn't really go away until I find myself connecting once more with a new community of friends who are like minded. It's definitely not a replacement for the family and church communities I've been so blessed to be apart of in the past. God has shown me that it's more of an "addition" to the beautiful list of people he has used to play significant roles in making me feel found.
We are so excited to have a new church community in Otaki to be connecting with! They are a beautiful community of people who love God and desire to see everyone's lives around them filled with the Holy Spirit, freed by God's free gift of grace and saved by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. We both believe that this is the community God has for us to grow with and minister along side of, so we are very excited for the time we have with them. :) I was kind of lost, not having a church community to fellowship with and serve in because I believe that those are vital elements to each of our relationships with God, but now I'm found. God's faithful friends! :)
