Eureka, I Found Him

Psalm 119: 169-176
169Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171My lips shall utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173Let Your hand become my help,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
174I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
And Your law is my delight.
175Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
176I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.


I was watching a show called “Eureka,” where a genius scientist created mechanical geese that wouldn’t fly straight. He set them lose to fly and they dive bombed pedestrians or flew into trees and buildings. They were useless for the purpose he created them. By the end of the show, the scientist discovered an error in the compass that helped the birds navigate. He said, “Turns out, when I built my birds, I made the compass too sensitive. I wanted to be sure they would never get lost, but they are going to get lost. Sure, they will lose their bearings for a bit, but that is how they’ll learn.”

Some of God’s greatest servants got lost too. Peter denied Christ, Abraham slept with his wife’s servant, and Paul persecuted Christians. Each of these servants of God lost their bearings for a while. David was called a man after God's heart, yet he had a man killed and stole his wife. When God revealed David’s sinfulness, he came back to God with a stronger than ever faith. In Psalm 119:176, David wrote, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments (NRSV).”

God knows that we are going to get lost. Even if we don’t rebel, we will occasionally lose our bearings and may wander into idleness, passiveness, or a lukewarm faith. How would we learn to grow and stay on track for the marathon, if we didn’t experience the rough road? When we return, we can appreciate the joy and peace when we finally find God’s path.

When you lose your bearings, find God again.