Last summer, my family and I traveled to Utah and spent a few days at the beautiful Zion National Park. We hiked many of the trails and enjoyed the famous Narrows. The terrain is beautiful but very rugged.
A few months after our trip, I noticed in the news that searchers were looking for a woman who had become lost in the National Park. The 38 year old woman from California’s was named Holly Courtier. She had lost her job due to the pandemic and decided to travel the country in a converted van. She arrived at Zion on October 6th and that was the last time anyone saw her for almost two weeks.
“Early in her trip into Zion, she injured her head on a tree. She was very disoriented as a result and thankfully ended up near a water source – a river bed. She thought her best chance of survival was to stay next to a water source. Emergency search crews used K9 units and drones to search for Holly for 12 day.
Thinking back to the rocky terrain we hiked, I can only imagine the terror she must have felt to have been lost in the wilderness not knowing if she would be rescued.
As terrible as it is to be lost in a remote wilderness area, there is another kind of lostness that’s even worse. Nothing is worse than being spiritually lost.
Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
The word “lost” is the term Jesus uses to describe someone who has not yet come to a point of faith and trust in Christ. They may even be searching for truth, but they are looking in all the wrong places.
To be lost is the most tragic condition in life. You can be wealthy and still be lost. You can have a fine marriage and family and still be lost. You can be healthy physically and still be lost.
To be lost is not just to be non-religious. To be lost is not just someone who doesn’t attend church. To be lost is to in our sins, separated from God. Unless we are found, this state of lostness is for eternity.
A survey was conducted of people who witnessed a drowning. One of the questions asked was, “Why didn’t you rescue them?” And many times people say, “Well, we didn’t realize they were drowning. There was a lot of splashing in the water and we thought they were just splashing around in the water. We didn’t realize they were in trouble.”
Maybe, just maybe that’s were we are today as Christians. We are around lost people all the time, but perhaps we have forgotten they are lost. Maybe we don’t recognize that people without a relationship with Jesus are on their way to an eternity separate from God.
We need to remember the truths:
Every lost person matters to God. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
God initiates the search to bring lost people home. He sent his son Jesus to pay the awful penalty for our sins. Jesus took our place. By his grace he invites us to a relationship with himself.
Everyday God is calling lost people to himself and he wants to use people like you and me as his representatives. He puts people in our path so we can share the good news with them.
I can only imagine the relief Holly Courtier must have felt when she was rescued after 12 days. But there is a greater joy we can experience, the joy of no longer being lost in our sins, but being found by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Today’s Challenge: Never stop praying for your lost family members and friends. Let’s never give up believing for their salvation. Be willing to let God use your life to help rescue those who are spiritually lost by bringing them to Christ.
