Is God Lost

IS GOD LOST?

TEXT: Joel 2:17 "Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Thy people, O LORD, And do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, ’Where is their God?"

INTRO: Have you ever been lost? Now when I ask that question I am not speaking from a spiritual perspective. I realize on the spiritual plane, we have all been lost. Scripture tells us we have "all sinned and come short of the glory of God". No, I am referring to the natural, physical plane. Have you ever been physically lost?

My wife would tell you we get lost every time I attempt on of my patented "short cuts". I remember one such short cut I took while assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It is reported that Fort Bragg is the largest US Military Installation in the world. I can attest to that fact! I believe I drove every mile of it one day while trying a "new route" home. What would normally have been a 20 minute journey was "shortened" to about a 2 hour adventure! When I got home Marcia said "Got lost, didn’t you!" Now men, you will understand my answer ---- because you would have said the same thing! --- "Nope, I knew exactly where I was. I was on Fort Bragg. I just wanted to go that way!"

Have you ever noticed that if map makers had to rely on men to buy their product, they would go out of business? The male ego says "just point me in the right direction, and I can get there!" We are adventurous by nature. "Blowing Rock, North Carolina --- let’s see now, that northeast of here --- I can find it! Chimney Rock, Virginia --- I think that’s north of here --- I can find it!" Now, Ladies are a little more pragmatic. "Exactly where is it? How long will it take to get there? What will we pass through on our way? Where will we stop for lunch? What if we run low on gas and get stuck somewhere that has no service stations? We better put food, blankets, batteries, radios, flashlights, first aid kits, maps, and flares in the car. Maybe be can contact the Automobile Association of America and have them map out our route for us". The man says "Why? It’s out west somewhere. It’s the Grand Canyon for goodness sakes. Don’t you think we’ll be able to find a hole that big in the ground? Get in the car, kids!

Ask those men who go to Friday night football games. Men, have you ever asked where the high schools are? Of course not --- you just drive to the town and start looking in the sky for the lights of the stadium. "Hey, I can get there!"

And so, I realize when I ask the question "Have you ever been lost?" that only the ladies will give me an honest answer. It just goes against our grain to admit such a thing. To admit to being lost would be tantamount to revealing a deep, dark secret! What would these guys think about me if I were to admit to every getting lost?

This kind of reminds me of the little boy who had been asked by his mother to clean his room. As he was cleaning the room his mind was on a discussion he had recently with his mother regarding life. "Mother, where did man come from?", the little boy had asked. "God made man from the dust of the ground". The little boy thought on that for a few moments and then asked "And mother, where does man go when he dies?" "Our body returns back to dust". Once again the boy was in deep thought and said "Let me get this straight --- man comes from dust and returns to dust?" "That’s right, honey".

You can understand why he cried out in fear as he was cleaning his room. His cry of anguish brought his mother running! Breathless, she said "What’s the matter? What is it!?" "O, mother, I have found someone under my bed and I don’t know if he is coming or going!"

Fellas, let’s admit it --- sometimes we don’t know if we are coming or going. All we know is we are on our way!

[TRANSITION]

Those who read the Bible [the Old Testament in particular] will readily recognize the fact that both God’s enemies and His people from time to time wondered if He was lost! They must have felt this way, because they were always asking where He was:

2 Ki 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?"