Can you picture a time when you were lost as a child? Many questions came to mind: How will I find my way back to my loved ones and to the place I belong? What will I eat? How will I survive in an unfamiliar place, where I do not know who to trust?
These may be questions we ask ourselves, but Jesus knew who to trust when his parents thought he was lost: his father who created him. So why do we sometimes lose our trust and faith in God? God created Jesus to live a life as a human. We are humans, so we should be as trusting as Jesus was in his father because God is our father too.
In Luke 2:41-52, when Mary and Joseph realized Jesus was not with them after the festival in Jerusalem, they thought they had lost him. Just as any parents would be, they were afraid and anxious about Jesus being lost. It amazes me how, when they found Jesus, he never felt lost. Mary probably thought she was a bad mother, not knowing the power of her son and his heavenly father. Twelve-year-old Jesus was found in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (Luke 2:46). Jesus was not only trusting his father for protection, but was increasing his wisdom. This is one of my favorite Bible stories because it reveals that if a child knew to trust his creator, why are we not capable of doing the same? God just desires for us to seek and trust him. He showed us that through his son, Jesus.
As we enter into a new year, we could feel lost, anxious or not know what we should be doing. In these times we need to remember who our creator and protector is by knowing that he is not only the keeper of us but also holds the plans for our lives. We must trust God to show us the way when we may feel lost. God gave his son so that we would not be lost and for us to have life, so we should trust him to know that God will see us through this life. How will you seek God’s guidance for your life and the lives of the others you are meant to lead? What fears will you put aside to help pastoral leaders show God and others that you completely trust God and God’s way for your life? What ways will you seek wisdom and guidance from God to increase your wisdom this year?
My prayer for this new year is that you will put all of your trust in God for this year and forever.