Lost and Found

“He leaves the ninety-nine to rescue the one who is lost.” Luke 15:3-7

There’s a place she goes where the atmosphere shifts from the reality of truth to the heaviness of chains.

She has no energy, her body feels weighted down, her chest feels tight, she is paralyzed and sad while fighting negative thoughts.

She doesn’t always know how she gets there, nevertheless, she’s there. Lonely, sad, seeking and searching, and finally just surrendering to it. No one to call, nothing that will help, nowhere to go....just existing, breathing in and out and waiting for the sun to rise within her soul. It’s dark and she feels invisible. Any attempt to put a voice to her pain is silenced with fear of being misunderstood. She sits in the quiet desiring to understand this mysterious place and how she wandered into it.

She stares at a blank wall beside her bed and loses herself in its emptiness. It was void of life which held the possibility of something beautiful or remaining empty like the depth of her soul in this moment. Tears ran down her cheeks as she whispered, “God, where am I and how did I get here?”

Then, no sooner than she uttered those words, she realized the silence was a battleground for war.

And she simply had to choose to fight!

There are times in this life when we are going to struggle. There’s no way to avoid it, only endure it. In this case we see a woman who finds herself lost in an inner battle....trapped in a place of spiritual darkness.

Have you ever been there?

Let me introduce you to.....Spiritual Warfare. A battle between good and evil that will attack in ways such as this when God is about to do something, and the devil is trying to stop it from happening.

• Maybe you’re in a new season of life that requires you to release control and trust him.

• Maybe He is calling you to a new level of faith where you need to say no to something that is hindering you.

• Maybe you have forgotten your first love and He is luring you back into His arms.

• Maybe you are struggling in circumstances that has crushed your world and the question, “Why Lord?” goes unanswered.

No matter how lost you feel you have a Father who will go to the ends of the earth to find you.

In the parable of the lost sheep found in Luke chapter 15, Jesus reveals He will leave those who are safe in the shepherd's care to find the one who has wandered away. While this is a message about salvation, we also find Him on a rescue mission for His children who face battles that send them on a detour and before long find themselves lost.

We all face situations where we lose ourselves, but the good news is we have a promise of being found.

So, you may be wondering about the girl in this story.

Who is she and what happened to her?

Well, that girl was me and when I thought I lost me He knew where to find me and the same is true for you.

I can assure you your heart does not go unnoticed by the One who died so that you could live. These uncertain moments are a time to RISE and walk out what you believe using the authority you have in Jesus. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” And the way we fight back? The same way Jesus did in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan.....the Word of God (Matthew 4).

In that place where I thought I was lost was also a place of rescue where Jesus not only found me He taught me a way fight back.

Here are four steps that taught me how to dance in the darkness:

1. R.....Realize where you are and Run to your Father

2. I......Intentionally be still in His presence and listen for His voice

3. S.....Speak truth out loud, pray and worship

4. E.....Expect God to find you

The mystery behind the battle may not always be known but the response is always the same......we RISE!

When we RISE as daughters of the King, we find that all who wander to that desolate place are never really lost, we’re just in a position to battle against the enemy’s plot to keep us from the goodness of God.

We are all on a mission in this life and it is one with purpose and we have an enemy who plans and schemes to keep us bound so that we do not fulfill that purpose. The Bible forewarns us the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Those are some powerful words we need to pay attention to. Make no mistake, you are on the devil's hit list. He only attacks what is valuable. So, if you are in a battle take notice and RISE....YOU are important, and God is about to do something in your life.

There I was on that dark day moving myself from a place of despair to kneeling in His presence where He found me and reminded me who I am and straightened my crown.

My precious friend, if this is you today, let me encourage you....you are not alone. He sees right where you are and already has a rescue plan to bring you out of the darkness. You are royalty.....the daughter of the King! And the devil must flee at your command! Let these words be a healing balm that helps you RISE and fight like the princess you are!