Four o’clock came and went without any sign of Jorge. Mrs. Perez nervously glanced through her sliding glass door at the sound of each passing car. Surely that had to be her five-year-old finally being dropped off by the bus driver. But it wasn’t. She wondered if maybe he was on a field trip.
Five o’clock slipped by, and soon it was dinner time. Still no Jorge. Mrs. Perez felt alone and scared. She had been only living in the United States for a short time and did not speak much English. It would be hard to try to find anybody who could help her find her son.
Another worry crossed her mind: Jorge’s heart problem. Only last year he had had heart surgery. Maybe something had gone terribly wrong with his heart! Each passing car made her more scared. Maybe Jorge really wouldn’t be coming home.
Are you missing? What a funny question, but many people are. The Bible says “[Jesus] is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). The Lord Jesus came to find sinners who have turned their backs on Him. Anyone who doesn’t know Him as their Saviour is lost. That’s what I mean when I ask if you are missing.
Mrs. Perez’s fear for her missing son grew larger as minutes slipped into hours. Finally she picked up the phone to call her brother-in-law. Maybe he could find her husband who spoke English well. Surely he would be able to find Jorge.
Mrs. Perez loved Jorge with all her heart, but God loves you even more. He doesn’t need a phone call to come looking for you. He has already sent His Son to this world to die for you.
If you are still missing from God’s family then there are many people who are worried about you. Jorge’s mom was very worried about him, but not knowing whether or not a child is on their way to heaven is even scarier for moms and dads who love the Lord Jesus. He shed His blood so that you could be saved. Each person needs to accept Him as his very own Saviour. The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
By the time Mr. Perez finally got home, Jorge had been missing for three hours. He quickly called the school, but imagine his disappointment when all he got was the answering machine. Then he drove to the school and found the building empty. Finally, he headed for the police station.
The police immediately called the school principal, Jorge’s teacher and even his bus driver. Nobody knew where Jorge was. His teacher said he had gotten on the bus. The bus driver didn’t think he had.
Two more hours passed, and still no Jorge. Then the phone rang. Was it going to be bad news? If Jorge had been found, it would be happy news. When God finds a lost sinner it’s a happy time. He says in the Bible that “joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:77I 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)).
The police in a nearby town were calling. They reported that Jorge had fallen asleep on the bus, apparently slumping down on the seat where the driver couldn’t see him. When he woke up hours later, he got off the parked bus and wandered out onto the street where he had been found.
You can imagine how happy Jorge’s parents were. They rushed to the other police station and soon were hugging and kissing their son.
That’s just how God feels about us too. It makes God very happy when we come to Him and let Him save us from our sins. We become part of His family and enjoy the love and security that come with it. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:11Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)).
Have you come to Him and become part of His family?
ML-12/28/1997