Have You Found Jesus?

The story is told of a boy who was being baptized by an old circuit preacher.  The preacher plunged the boy under the cold waters of the river and brought him up asking, "Have you found Jesus?"  The boy, uncertain of what he meant replied, "No."  The preacher plunged him under again and held him longer, bringing him up asking again if he found Jesus to which the boy sputtered, "No."  The preacher took him down a third time and held him even longer, asking again as he raised him up, "Have you found Jesus?"  The boy, coughing and spitting out water frantically responded, "No I haven't but I'm pretty sure he's not down there!"

I first heard someone ask that question when I was 18 and an Airman First Class.  She was a civilian nurse working at the military hospital I was assigned to.  She asked virtually everyone she encountered, "Have you found Jesus?"  Since that time, I have heard that question posed many many times.  But I have never asked anyone that question.  Not because I'm not concerned with whether one has Jesus in his/her life but because I don't believe we find Jesus.

You see, the Bible is clear that Jesus is the Shepherd and we are the sheep (see John chapter 10).  If there is one thing I am certain about it's that lost sheep don't go looking or find the shepherd, it's always the shepherd who seeks after them.  The sheep simple answer (or not) when he calls.  

We find this scenario inthe Old Testament: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2 Chron 16:9) and we read it again in the New Testament, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

You don't have to find Jesus, he will find you.  You have to answer his call and come to him.  As John records of Jesus, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them" (Jn 6:34).  The Lord does the seeking and the finding and the calling, our part is to do the responding, to come out from our hiding places and follow his voice home.  As Jesus clearly said, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me" (Jn 10:27).

Is He calling you?  Have you wandered away?  If so, He is looking and He is calling.  Are you ready to answer?  Jus' Askn.