Afraid of Strangers

Most parents teach their children not to talk to strangers and that is usually good advice. However, there may arise a time when a child is in danger and a stranger might be the only person who can help.

Brennan Hawkins, an eleven year old boy, had gone on an outing in the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Somehow he managed to get separated from the group of boys and adult supervisor with whom he was hiking and wandered lost in the mountains for four days. Four days is a long time to go without food and water. Bears and cougars make their homes in the mountains, and at night it gets very cold.

Many volunteers set out searching for the boy as soon as he was reported missing. Some rode horses, and some rode off road vehicles called quads, while others hiked. Brennan saw a couple of these searchers but instead of calling out to them, he hid himself. Little did he know that these strangers were searching in the wilderness just for him and only meant to return him to his family.

Many people dont understand that the Lord Jesus is seeking for them to bring them the greatest blessings man can possibly receive from God. Instead they view the Lord Jesus as a stranger and want nothing to do with him. The Lord Jesus may seem a stranger to you but it ought not to be that way. He wants to save you from your sins. To do this he gave his life on the cross for you.

He was buried in a dark tomb where his body laid for three days. Early on the third day he arose from the grave a mighty victor over sin and death. His disciples saw him, spoke with him, ate with him and one of them even thrust his hand into the spear wound in his side. After forty days of showing himself alive in resurrection, he was taken up to heaven in plain sight of his disciples and now sits at the right hand of God.

You may be a stranger to him but he is no stranger to you. He knows every thought in your mind and every feeling in your heart. Sometimes we have a hard time sorting out our thoughts and feelings. Not him, he understands us through and through, even better than we do ourselves. He also understands the greatest need of our heart which is to know our sins are forgiven and to be loved by God.

He wants you to come as a lost sinner and place your faith in him to have your sins forgiven. In whom we have redemption even the forgiveness of sins through faith in his blood. Once you have your sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus, you will begin to know and to understand Gods love.

I ask you, could anything be more wonderful than knowing your sins are forgiven and that God loves you with an unfailing love?

Brennan finally realized that he would need the help of a stranger to get rescued. He saw a man hiking down the trail, and instead of hiding he stepped out into the middle of the trail. The volunteer searcher, Forest Nunley, sat the boy down and gave him water and food, and used his cell phone to report that he had found the boy. Brennans mother cried for joy when she heard her boy was safe. The parents had almost given up hope that he would be found alive.

The Lord Jesus may have been a stranger to you all of your life but wont you call out to him? Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord Shall be saved. No one ever loved you like him. Dont stay a stranger to him one more day but call upon him even today. Behold now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.