Memory Verse: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6
“Hey, I found his toy truck,” yelled Terry to the mothers who were standing at the top of the ravine. Terry and two other Explorer Scouts had been searching the area along the railroad tracks at the bottom of the ravine.
“I think this is his hat,” called one of the other scouts who was searching a little farther down the tracks.
Among the small group of mothers watching and listening as the scouts searched the area below, stood the mother of four-year-old Larry. These reports brought a cry from Larry’s mother, who feared the worst.
It was one of those bright warm days of early spring when boys and girls like to play outside. Larry had been shut up inside the house for almost two weeks because of the cold, gray March Weather. Finally the clouds blew away and the temperature warmed up.
His mother had missed Larry about thirty minutes after he went out into the backyard to play. He had on his play clothes and his hat to cover his ears, but best of all he had a new toy truck that he could finally play with in the dirt. However, when Larry’s mother went to the door to check on him, he was nowhere in sight.
She quickly threw on her coat and went out to look for Larry. She first looked next door at the Jansens. He was probably there with his playmate, Scott. But no, they hadn’t seen him. Scott was inside with a cold. She continued to look farther and farther down both sides of the street. As she called Larry’s name with no response, she began to feel panicky. Where had Larry gone?
Each of us has been just like Larry. God’s Word compares us with sheep in Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Many are still turning their back on God and His gentle calling “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
Terry and two other scouts were just returning from a meeting. By this time Larry’s mother and several other mothers were all looking for him.
“Can we help?” asked Terry.
“I’m frantic!” said Larry’s mother. “He’s been gone for almost two hours.”
“We’ll look down by the tracks,” said Terry. “Maybe you should call the police. They have dogs that are good at picking up a trail.”
“I’ll call them,” said Mrs. Jansen. “You go with the boys. I’ll also call my husband and see if he can come home quickly.”
“Please do, and hurry,” said Larry’s mother. “I’m so worried. I wish his father were home, but he’s in New York.”
Mrs. Jansen ran to her house while Larry’s mother and some of the other neighborhood people went with the scouts. After calling the police she nervously dialed her husband’s work number. “Henry,” she said when he answered, “come home quick! Little Larry next door has wandered off and we can’t find him anywhere!”
Ten minutes later everyone arrived. Two policemen in a police cruiser came with their lights flashing. Mr. Jansen raced down the street in his car and squealed to a stop. It was just then that the scouts found Larry’s toy truck and his hat.
As the police and the scouts organized into search parties to check the heavy-brush areas along the tracks, Mr. Jansen thought to himself, “Larry is fascinated with trucks, I wonder...?” He jumped into his car and called to his wife, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ve got an idea.”
Mr. Jansen drove the four blocks down Railroad Street to the Meyer Sand and Gravel Company. As he drove into the yard he noticed a large gravel truck being loaded by a big chain conveyer belt. Dust and gravel were all over the place and there was lots of noisy equipment. And there sitting on the ground watching all this activity was Larry. His shoes were muddy, his hands and face were grimy from the flying dust, but he was happily watching the trucks and the other equipment.
“Hi, Mr. Jansen,” he said somewhat surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you, Larry; you’d better come along with me,” was his reply.
“Oh, okay, but it sure is fun here,” exclaimed Larry.
As they drove back towards his house, Mr. Jansen explained to Larry how worried everyone had been when they couldn’t find him. “Don’t you know, Larry,” he said, “that you can’t go anywhere you want without telling your mother? Even the police are looking for you!”
As they neared Larry’s house, Mr. Jansen began honking his horn. Before the car had even stopped, Larry’s mother was there. She quickly opened the door and lifted out her dirty little son and hugged him tightly. The search was called off; Larry was now home.
That evening Scott Jansen, Larry’s friend, saw him playing quietly in his front yard.
“Hi, Larry,” he called. “Did you get spanked when you got home?”
“No,” said Larry, “Mommy didn’t spank me at all. She took me in the house and gave me a bath and clean clothes. Then she just sat and hugged and kissed me for an hour,” he said in disgust.
Larry had been received home with joy and happiness by his mother. We know that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10. Each of us as wandering sheep is away from God who sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to seek and to save us. Those of us who have been made clean through His precious blood by believing and receiving Christ as our personal Saviour are welcomed Home by the Father. “This thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Luke 15:32.
ML-03/02/1986