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The theological ramblings of a simple man.

Wisdom

Because God is never cruel, there is a reason for all things. We must know the pain of loss; because if we never knew it, we would have no compassion for others, and we would become monsters of self-regard, creatures of unalloyed self-interest. The terrible pain of loss teaches humility to our prideful kind, has the power to soften uncaring hearts, to make a better person of a good one.

Dean Koontz

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

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Sunday, October 15, 2006

Far From God part 1: Lost (A Study of Psalm 107)

Shortly after moving to the Coeur d'Alene area, my father-in-law got me hooked on what would become one of the most talked about shows on television: LOST. Each week I watch as 48 survivors from a mysterious plane crash search for food, clean water, shelter, and (most importantly) a way home.

I have found myself emotionally attached to these characters, stranded on a desert island, far from the cities they once knew. They are hungry, thirsty, and constantly in distress. The producers and script writers cleverly leave you hanging at the end of each episode, weave in new twists, and ask four questions for every one answered. In essence the viewer feels as lost as the fictional survivors of flight 815.

When it comes to life, many of us find ourselves just as lost. With out direction or aim, our fates unknown, we lose hope. The psalmist writes of four things that separate us from God, and this purposeless state is the first to be addressed. First because all of us, without God, are lost.

Some wandered the desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
(Psalm 107:4-5)

It is in this state of wandering that we hunger and thirst the most. We find no satisfaction without knowing shelter.

Have you ever been lost? A friend of mine recently returned from a hunting trip where he had been separated from the rest of his party. They had hiked up different sides of the mountain and by the time they noticed, he and the guys he was with were too far away to communicate. No reply on the radios, shouting and whistles went unreturned. This is the point that most of us panic. We get desperate and finally ask for help. Search and rescue is called in and several hours later, parties are united.

In this desperation we cry out to God. We should have called on Him sooner, but now we are in too deep to make it out without him. How does He rescue the lost? How is that chasm between us, the lost, and God closed.

He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
for He satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
(Psalms 107:7 & 107:9)

It is here we find solace. We don't have to wander aimlessly. God will lead us. If we trust in His guidance we will be satisfied. In Him we will never hunger and we will never thirst.

You most likely are not reading this post from a desert island. I am beginning to doubt that Locke, Eko, and Hurley will ever make it off of their Island in LOST, but we a hope that they don't possess. God has given us this promise:

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. (Ezekiel 34:16)

posted by nic @ 5:49 PM

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