I’ve shared before that I try to read
through the Bible every year-ish. It always takes me longer, so I’ve given up
obsessively trying to make it in a calendar year. As I go forward, I may slow
it down even more because though I want to get the sweep of the story, I also
want to carry away something every day. To that end, I aim to try and listen even
more closely for that one verse each day that God might be using in my life.
On a recent day that verse was Luke 19:10,
“For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.” The first thing that may
spring to mind when we read those words is how Jesus came to save us for all
eternity. And oh, how thankful we are. He seeks us out to introduce us to
Himself so that we may give our lives to Him.
But there’s more than one way to be lost.
When my dad died ten years ago, for a period of time, I felt lost. It was as if an anchor in my life had been ripped away, and I felt adrift. I’ve spoken with others for whom grief also affected them that way.
Sometimes we feel lost when our sense of
purpose has dwindled. We’ve lived a certain way for years and then things
change. Which path to take? What to do?
For these times and so many more, Jesus
came. He seeks us out and as we give ourselves to Him, He saves us in all
possible ways. The transliteration of the Greek word in Luke 19:10 is “sozo.” Through the years, my pastor hubby, Jerry, has taught several times about this powerful word so it is familiar to me. According to one commentator, it is used to describe both physical and
spiritual salvation.
Here are some of the shades of meaning:
-To save
-To keep safe and sound
-To rescue from danger
-To make well
-Heal
-Restore to health
-To make one a partaker of the salvation
by Christ
God is not interested in only our eternal
lostness, but he is interested in all the ways we can become lost, because He
loves us. And for that reason, Jesus came to seek us out, to hunt all the back
alleys and underground tunnels to find us, and when he does, he desires that we
be saved and experience what sozo really means.
If you feel lost right
now, remember Jesus is looking for you and wants to bring the saving to the
uttermost that only He can.
Blessings in this year just begun, friends. Let's let Jesus help us find our "sozo."