I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. (Psalm 119:176, NLT)
Have you ever found a practically new golf ball, played a couple of holes with it, and then lost it yourself? If you have, you probably smiled and said, “Apparently, that ball loves to play hide and seek.”
Just this morning, as I write this, I was looking for a yellow ball. Even with the color making it more visible, my three-minute time limit was running out. And then I spotted it, nestled behind the coffee maker.
Yes, I was practicing my short game in the house, chipping from the carpet in the family room to the tile in the kitchen. All golfers reading this, both men and women, will not only get that but admit to having done it. Or at least thought of it.
Because I’ve matured a little over the years, I was using a foam ball rather than a USGA-approved urethane-covered Callaway. They fly about the same distance in short shots and are even good for practice outside the house.
But every golf ball brand or type I’ve ever used can be lost. When they are, do you think they want to be – hope to be – found?
The verse above is the final sentence in the longest Psalm, an amazing work. The author’s closing thought is one I get: I am lost, Lord, please come and find me.
How do we get lost? The Psalmist says, “I have wandered away like a lost sheep.” The sheep is not trying to be lost; it has simply taken the wrong path. When it realizes it is lost (at least here), that sheep wants desperately to be back where it belongs.
How do we get found? If you belong to Jesus and have wandered away, call out to the Lord. He’s looking for you (Matthew 18:12), and there is no three-minute time limit.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the Good Shepherd, who looks for us with greater intensity than we have when looking for a $5 golf ball. Because he truly loves us. In his beautiful name, Amen