Seeking The Lost

February 14, 2023

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:7).

Rough work week, busy physically all week. A machine I had been working on throughout the day, its door fell and slammed onto my neck while I was installing a part. I felt fine at first, but then a few days later I woke up for church with a stiff neck. I almost talked myself out of going to church, and just staying home and resting. Managed to convince myself to get ready, and took my daughter to Sunday school. We made it just in time, and I was able to catch a few songs at the end of the song service.

As one song ended, I turned elsewhere to look for a song and my eyes landed on "Seeking the Lost". As I stared at it for a few moments, the song leaders paused and made a joke encouraging someone to request a song. I was reading the words of the song when I heard someone request "Seeking the Lost". So we start to sing the song that was laid before me. I start hearing the words that I had been reading, but now with the voices of many.

The first verse of the song "...kindly entreating", makes you wonder what does that mean? According to Webster's Dictionary, entreating means "to plead with ...: ask urgently." Combining that with "kindly" we come up with kindly pleading with the lost, asking urgently to persuade them to believe in Christ. Do we ever find ourselves urgently, kindly pleading with the lost to come to Christ? The wording leads you to visualize the unsaved. I also hear the "Wanderers" as believers whose faith may be shipwrecked. They are not necessarily lost, but they are lost in their walk; they have stumbled. In the church's Job Study book, one statement in bold refers to "Obstructing God's Plan". I don't know that we can obstruct God's plans or make them harder. I do think the scripture is not to be a stumbling block to others.

Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. (1 Corinthians 8:7-12).

I believe that we can be a stumbling block in many ways. Is it possible that Job's crying out to God was a sin? Was it a stumbling block to weaker believers? It wasn't that he was eating or not eating meat, but by crying out to God what was his effect on his friends, and his wife? Did he cause them to stumble when his health failed, his finances failed, or his doubt became visible to other believers? Job repented, and his friends stumbled in their counsel. Are we sinning when we struggle with our belief when we doubt and others are watching us to see if we retain our "integrity" to serve God?

Anyway, back to thoughts on "Seeking The Lost". Do we seek the Wandering brother or sister who is stumbling, struggling in faith? Scared, singled out by Satan? When they are listening to Satan's whispers. Job's wife cried out, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity?" Job 2:9 . Satan may have whispered things to cause her to doubt and fear. We know from God and Satan's discussion that Job's integrity would be tested; then we hear his wife echo words challenging Job. Where did she hear these words? When she cried out "curse God and die." Job 2:9 All of these cries we hear, come from Satan's desire for us. Do we echo Satan, or do what God wants us to do? We often become stumbling blocks for others, the lost and the shipwrecked faith believer.

How far will we go when their spirit wanders, when it is shipwrecked and those surrounding them are giving them more doubt? When they hurt us, challenge our faith by asking if we "still retain thine integrity?" Job 2:9. How do we respond? Do we kindly entreat the lost, the wanderer brother/sister? Do we kindly plead with them to listen to God's voice, Come unto Me? Most often, we do as the Pharisees did and cast the first stone, or we walk away as the Pharisees did when confronted with Christ's wisdom pointing out their sins. We need to stay with the "wanderer", lifting them, while speaking God's word, encouraging them to follow God's way, and follow Christ.

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. (Matthew 18:12-13)

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:4/7)

The words "bringing the wand'rer back again, back again, Into the fold of my Redeemer. Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore, Leading them forth in ways of salvation." This sounds a lot like believers when they stumble. Has God commanded you to lead someone by following them into their despair or by walking a path that may lead them out of their troubles? Sometimes the hardest struggle Christians can find themselves in is when God tells them to give up someone they love and follow him. We can not lead others to God if we follow their path and try to fix their issues. We can only lead by pointing the way and walking that way.

There are times when Satan whispers "Cast thyself down" in Matthew 4:6 to us and others as he did to Christ. There are many forms of casting yourself down. It could be quitting your job, doing something reckless, stealing, or hating, your situation will improve, just do this. Make God respond to you, test God. Satan wants us to destroy our lives, it doesn't have to be to get angels to respond, he just wants to plant that seed of doubt to lead us astray. I find it interesting that the scriptures say Christ was led by the spirit into the wilderness, and that is where he encountered Satan's temptation. Are there times in a believer's life, when the spirit leads us into the wilderness, we face Satan's temptations or trials and a response from us is required? We should respond as Christ did, with scripture. How did Job respond when God allowed him to be tested? Job refuted Satan with scripture initially.

Moving back to the song, I felt like God was showing me this is the title of your past year. That he knew the intent of my heart, what I wanted to do and he took that and led me through "... the wilderness" in ways I never would have chosen. God has blessed me immeasurably spiritually in ways I could never have known or explained to others.

We hear the "Seeking the Lost" song. But do we seek the lost, seek righteousness, seek God when we know there will be a cost to us? Jesus knew the cost of seeking us, and he still sought us.

"Seeking the Lost" by William Ogden. Public Domain.

Seeking the lost, yes, kindly entreating Wanderers on the mountain astray; “Come unto Me,” His message repeats, Words of the Master speaking today.

Chorus: Going afar upon the mountain, Bringing the wand'rer back again, back again, Into the fold of my Redeemer, Jesus, the Lamb for sinners slain, for sinners slain.

Seeking the lost and pointing to Jesus Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore, Leading them forth in ways of salvation, Showing the path to life evermore. (Chorus)

Thus would I go on missions of mercy, Following Christ from day unto day, Cheering the faint and raising the fallen, Pointing the lost to Jesus, the Way. (Chorus)

Thank you, God, for the blessings in my life.