Lost and Found
Jul 20
3 min read
Today's Verse:
I sought him, but I found him not. ~Song of Solomon 3:2b
A few years ago, I had the privilege of being part of a panel of pastors who were interviewed about current topics. I left later that afternoon to return home to the San Francisco Bay Area. About two hours into my drive back, one of the secretaries at the host church where I had been called me and said, “Bro. Fong, we found an iPad that was left behind. Is this yours?” I immediately thought, “How did I leave it behind?” My iPad has most of my sermons that I have preached over the last several years on it. As things turned out, I actually had my iPad with me, and I did not need to turn around. It is an incredible relief when something lost is found. Our devotion this morning centers on something lost but excitedly found.
We see the reason.
The most precious privilege of the Christian life is our fellowship with the Lord. What a tragedy to come to the place where we try to seek the Lord but do not find Him. We will not find Him in our selfish dreams. We will not find Him in the broad way or in our worldly pursuits. We will not find Him when our attitude and spirit towards others is not right. We will not find Him when we have bitterness or unforgiveness in our hearts. We will not find Him when we live with unconfessed sin. We will not find Him by being overcommitted or too busy doing too many things. We will not find Him if we are not in our place.
We see the remorse.
The Shunammite woman became anxious and frantic when she could not find the one whom she loved. When we cannot find the Lord, our prayers are not answered. When we cannot find the Lord, we feel empty and miserable. When we cannot find the Lord, our life is barren. When we cannot find the Lord, we realize we did not take good care of the precious relationship we have with Him. Like the Shunammite, we must stop everything else we are doing and we need to find Him “whom my soul loveth.” If fellowship with the Lord has lost its closeness and warmth, it is time to drop everything else, and do what you must to regain that sweetness and closeness.
We see the recovery.
“I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go.” What a joy and blessing it is to find the one whom our soul loves! First, she said, “It was but a little that I passed from them....” You don’t have to go very far to recover your fellowship with Christ! Like the man who lost an axehead, you will find Him where you lost Him. Second, when she found him, she said she would not let him go. Don’t let go of your prayer and Bible reading time. Don’t let go of your church attendance and being under the preaching of God’s Word. Don’t let go of the unchanging Bible promises. Go back to where things slipped away, and take it back.
We see the recommendation.
When we recover fellowship that was lost, we have a strong recommendation so that we don’t lose it again. First, remember how you lost it. Second, repent of being careless and slothful. Third, repeat the first works. Go back to the routine that you practiced, but do so with the passion and determination to not let Him go.
Seek to grow closer and deeper in your fellowship with the Lord. Let nothing come between you and the Savior.
Have a renewed God Morning!
Reading Schedule: Proverbs 27-29
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