Most parents take the time to teach their children not to talk to strangers, which is usually good advice. However, a time may come when a child is in danger, and a stranger might be the only person to turn to for help.
Brennan Hawkins, an eleven-year-old boy, had gone on an outing in the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Somehow he got separated from the group of boys and adult leader he was hiking with and wandered about lost in the mountains for four days. Four days is a long time to go without food and water. And there were other dangers - bears and cougars live in those mountains, and at night it gets very cold.
Many volunteers set out searching for the boy as soon as he was reported missing. Some rode horses, some rode off-road vehicles called quads, while others hiked. Brennan saw a couple of these searchers, but instead of calling out to them, he hid himself. To him they were strangers, and he had been taught to stay away from strangers. He didn’t know that these “strangers” were out in the wilderness searching just for him and only wanted to return him to his family.
Many people don’t understand that the Lord Jesus is seeking for them, to bring them the greatest blessings man can possibly receive from God. Instead, they see the Lord Jesus as a stranger and want nothing to do with Him. The Lord Jesus may be a stranger to you too, but what He really wants to do is save you from your sins. He can save you because He gave up His life on the cross for you. He was buried in a dark tomb where his body lay for three days. Early on the third day, He arose from the grave - a mighty victor over sin and death! His disciples saw Him, spoke with Him and ate with Him, and one of them was even invited to thrust his hand into the spear wound in the Lord Jesus’ side. After forty days of showing Himself to be alive in resurrection, He was taken up to heaven in plain sight of the disciples, and now - today - He is sitting at the right hand of God.
Jesus may be a stranger to you, but you are no stranger to Him. He knows every thought that goes through your mind and every feeling that passes through your heart. He also understands the greatest need of our hearts, which is to be loved by God and to have our sins forgiven.
Jesus wants you to come as a lost sinner and place your faith in Him to have your sins forgiven. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)). Once you have your sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus, you can begin to know God’s wonderful love. Could anything be more wonderful than knowing your sins are forgiven and that God loves you with an unfailing love?
Brennan finally realized that he would need the help of a stranger to be rescued, because he was hopelessly lost. When he saw a man hiking on the trail, instead of hiding, he stepped out into the middle of the trail. The volunteer searcher, named Forest Nunley, first used his cell phone to report that he had found the boy and then sat him down and gave him water and food. Brennan’s mother cried for joy when she heard her boy was safe. After four days, his parents had almost given up hope that he would be found alive.
The Lord Jesus may seem to be a stranger to you, but won’t you call out to Him? He is your only hope of being saved from your sins. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:2121And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)). No one loves you like He does. Don’t consider Him as a stranger one more day . . . call out to Him right now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)).
ML-11/06/2005