A Theme Park Discovery
He had wandered off and we couldn’t find him.
Reference: “God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” Psalm 53:2 NIV
Explore: When we were young our parents took us to a theme park with my aunt, uncle and cousins. The theme park was huge with amazing rides and activities.
While I was too scared to go on the rollercoasters I would stick by my dad’s side as we went on the dodgem cars and Ferris wheels. There were people everywhere and the noise of excited children was electric.
At one point during the day we noticed my young cousin, James, was no longer with the group. It seemed he had wandered off and my aunt and uncle couldn’t find him.
We went back to the previous rides but he wasn’t there. We went to the food stalls but he wasn’t there.
We started to think the worst and worried about how distraught he must be. I was terrified as I couldn’t think of anything worse than being lost in a big park away from my mum and dad.
When my aunt made her way to the information counter, there was James, happily playing with the toys they had for all the children who had got lost at the park. He hadn’t been concerned at all as he was quite content playing and being entertained by the staff.
Application: James had not been proactive about staying close to his parents. He was happy to wander off and find something else to play with.
Fortunately for my cousin, he had found a safe place. But he certainly wasn’t doing much to help his parents.
We can be the same way when it comes to our relationship with God. We know we belong to Him, but there are times when we wander off to find something we think will be more appealing or fun.
God will always come looking for us, but He allows us to make the decision as to whether we want to follow Him or not. My cousin had no choice but to return home with his family, but often God searches for His children only to find they’re happy not to be found.
There are times when we may wander off and go our own way. But when God comes calling may we come forward with a contrite heart, knowing His family is the best place we can be.
Prayer: Lord, search me and find me. I want to be in Your presence. Amen.
What would God find if He came looking for you today?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.