Have you ever been lost? Or lost one of your children? It’s frightening!
But how sweet it is to be found and to see the smile of the one you love.
Being Lost
One time I got lost leading my 11-year old son on a hike up a mountain. We were coming down the peak and got lost. The sun was going down and it was very cold. We were hiking through snow with out gear from Altitude Sports, far from help, shivering and trembling with fear. Just in the nick of time God brought us some other hikers who knew the way back down the mountain.
Another time my precious little four-year old girl got lost at Disneyland. We searched and searched for her and couldn’t find her. We went told the park officials and they were looking for her. We were so scared that she’d been kidnapped. We prayed and prayed and kept searching frantically. Then all of a sudden she appeared!
I’ve talked with many people who have been lost spiritually. Some are lost in sin and haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ to forgive them. Others are Christians, but struggling with an addiction and far from God. Still others “know” all the right Christian answers but yet they feel distant from God.
The Good Shepherd in Psalm 28
One day five years ago I was praying Psalm 28 in solitude and I came across these lines:
“Praise be to the Lord for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song… Be [our] shepherd and carry [us] forever” (verses 6-7, 9).
I was reminded of Jesus saying that he is a shepherd who looks high and low for lost sheep and rejoices to find them and bring them all the way home into God’s grace (Luke 15:1-7).
At the time I was longing to draw closer to Jesus. I felt compelled to go and pray at the “Lost is Found” statue that depicts what Jesus described. This is at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA.
Be Captivated by Jesus!
As I meditated on Psalm 28 and the statue depicting Jesus’ story I found myself captivated by the Shepherd’s smiling face cuddled up to the lamb he had on his shoulders.
The it hit me: I am that lamb! Jesus has found me and is singing his love over me! I was lost and now I am found.
My spirit sang and danced with my Lord, the children, and all the sheep as I appreciated his love for me—and not just for me, but also for the people in my life who I might help to be found by the Good Shepherd.
It was a close moment for me, a joyful embrace in Jesus’ love. To express my feelings and remember the experience I wrote this prayer poem:
His Smile is All we Need
Good Shepherd found me!
My heart leaps for joy
In songs of thanksgiving.
My Shepherd carries me forever.
His smile is all I need.
He put me atop his shoulders
And still holds me securely there
As we snuggle cheek to cheek.
I heard my Shepherd calling for me
And he heard my cry for help.
He rejoiced and sang over me
And I joined the angels in his song.
People gathered all around,
Lambs and rams skipped with delight,
Boys and girls danced in joyful song —
His smile is all we need.
More Soul Shepherding
Psalm 23 means so much to me and I love to share it with others. “My Soul Shepherding Psalm” helps our hearts to be found by Jesus.
One of the ministries of Soul Shepherding is to show ministry leaders and other Christ-followers how to meditate on Scripture in ways that facilitate intimacy with our Lord and soul transformation.
