Autumn is one of my favorite times of year. This colorful season offers so many ways to engage our senses. One I enjoy is to visit an orchard that caters to kids - and kids at heart – offering fun activities: apple picking, pumpkin carving, cider donut eating, hayrides.
One of the more daring and often frustrating activities for me is the corn maze. I have mixed feelings about this one. I start by puffing myself up, certain I can tackle the challenge, after all, I have fairly good self-guiding instincts. But part way through, after a number of reversals and fruitless attempts, the sun begins to lower and the overpowering corn stalks begin to close in on me. I can’t see ahead and so, walk blindly. I no longer hear anyone. Confusion and fear begin to creep in. If I can’t find my way, will they leave me alone in the dark? Or will someone be there to rescue me? Will I eventually get out, into to a safe place?
As humans we are naturally drawn to take on the challenges of life on our own, navigate the twists and turns and self direct our thoughts, actions and course. In reality, we are lost from the start. You see, the GPS we carry is faulty - fatally so. We may think we are making wise choices, going the right way, but our map is distorted. In fact, it is utterly useless. It’s torn and stained by sin – the sin of others and our own. The sin that entered the world at the Fall of creation.
We must come to admit we are lost and that we need a rescuer to lead us out of this maze that is life on earth.
Jesus Christ is that Rescuer.
For only Jesus can truthfully claim to be both divine - God’s own Son - and human, entering the maze in which we live. As such, only Jesus had the authority and love to willingly succumb to this sin-filled maze in order to overcome it on our behalf. Only Jesus knows the way. Jesus IS the Way.
Once we acknowledge this reality and hand over the navigation to Him, we will hear His voice calling us through the tall obstacles. Only when we look up, will we see His cross raised high so we can follow Him through and eventually out of the maze, to a forever safe place.
We are lost. Only through Jesus Christ are we found.
Alleluia and Amen!
-Kathi Fritz (a wonderful contributing writer - COBI is deeply grateful for her gift and willingness to offer it these past years to bring encouragement to our readers.)
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