Lost, But Not Really

I recently taught a lesson on being lost. Not lost as pertaining to salvation, but lost as in lacking a sense of direction. There are myriad areas in which to question ourselves. Many times we question our self-worth. We question our abilities as husbands, fathers, parents. We wonder if we're doing all that God would have us do. We ask ourselves if we are selfish. Sometimes we don't like the answer. Sometimes we don't do anything about that answer either! We sit and ponder if our current predicament is self-generated even though often times it's simply God's way of helping us develop trust in Him. How many times have we asked ourselves, "Am I in the right place?" I am reasonably convinced that most of our questions are based on selfish motivations and not on God's will. We want this or that. We want it now. It owns us and not the other way around. We become slaves to the "trappings" of life. We need to slow down, or even stop, and let God truly direct our lives. When we hear His voice, we must then obey. If we don't hear His voice we still have His word, an incredible guide in and of itself, and we must obey it. When I was a child, around 8-10 years old, we had a family reunion in honor of my great-grandmother, Sarah Roberts. It was held in a forest preserve south of Chicago. If you are not familiar with forest preserves, they are areas of forested land set aside by the government to hold back encroachment and allow some wildlife habitat near populated areas. Anyway, during this event my brother David, our cousin Tommy, and I went for a walk. Before long we were lost. Didn't have a clue as to where we were. We couldn't hear a familiar sound. In fact, I don't think we heard any sounds. We probably thought we saw a bear as well, even though the only bears around that area play for the NFL! As we tried to collect our thoughts we became even more certain of our quandary - we didn't know where we were. Then came a moment of clarity. Hey, this forest is bounded on 4 sides by roads, and the forest is only about one mile square. We knew if we walked in the same direction we would eventually arrive at one of the bordering roads. As expected, it happened and shortly thereafter we were on our way back to the party. Amazingly, no one seemed to miss us! Here is my point. Even if you think you've lost your way remember that God has put a border around you. If you haven't crossed His boundaries you're not really lost. You may not know where you're at, but He does. "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take... (Job 23:8-10 ESV) Listen for His voice. If you can't hear it, stay in His book.