“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”—Luke 19:10 (NIV).
“It’s this way.”
“No, over here.”
“That’s a dead end. You’re not looking at the map.”
This was only a part of the conversation punctuating the cornfield maze my grandchildren, my oldest son and I had on a sunny October afternoon. The maze, along with other activities, was a part of many fun-filled and educational opportunities for all ages at a northeastern Oklahoma farm.
Before entering the maze, we were handed a map, along with instructions to find clues located on several signs along the way. At the top of the map was a phone number we could call if we couldn’t find our way out.
As we wove our way through the twists and turns of the maze, we were often slapped in the face with dangling corn stalks. We often found ourselves going in circles. When we discovered a sign on the trail, I was amazed to see we could use our smart phones to read a QR Code.
For those who are not familiar with a QR Code, it’s similar to a bar code found on products scanned at the checkout. In this case, the QR Code revealed information via the smart phone to locate our position on the map.
Other than the map and the signs along the way, we had no way of knowing where we were in the maze of corn. We laughed along the way even as we disagreed sometimes on which path we needed to take to find our way out of the jungle of corn stalks.
Our lives are often like that corn maze. We can become so caught up in the things of this world we can’t figure out where we are, where we need to be and why we’re making the wrong choices.
In “Mere Christianity,” author C.S. Lewis wrote, “Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.”
If we want to make progress in our relationship with the Lord and quit hitting dead ends along the way, we must turn to Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The theme of being lost is found in many of the scriptures. Remember the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin? What about the prodigal son?
We are lost, just like the Israelites in the desert, when we don’t surrender our lives to Jesus. Through His saving grace, we can find our way to God with reassurance. His Word is our map.
Are you lost in a maze of worldliness?
Carol, I love your website–outstanding display. Your cornfield maize story was interesting and you tied it very well to other life challenges. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, James! I am always “a-mazed” at the things God’s Holy Spirit brings to my mind when I am thinking about my next column. No pun intended. I pray that your work continues to inspire others to turn to our Heavenly Father. We both know He is our source, don’t we? Keep on writing for HIS glory.