Wednesday, October 30, 2002
It was a mother's nightmare. A mother had just finished shopping at Wal-Mart and had just situated her three children in her mini-van and was returning her shopping cart. In that moment, a woman who had been cruising the parking lot snatched little month-old Nancy from her seat and started driving off with the baby. The mother raced to that fleeing car, and hung onto the door as long as she could. But the kidnapper got away with her precious baby. A store security camera actually caught the abduction on video, and millions of us saw it on the news. But, thank God, this was one child abduction that had a happy ending. Thanks to some alert citizens and good police work, she was found safe and her abductor was arrested. Needless to say, it was a beautiful, emotional scene when they returned that little girl back to her mother's arms. A family member said of that month-old little treasure, "It's like she was born again today."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Child Snatching."
Jesus made this revealing statement about the devil's modus operandi - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10) And one thing that Satan tries to steal is the sons and daughters of people who belong to Jesus. In fact you may be listening today, knowing all too well the grieving of having a child who is away from the God you love. It's a spiritual kidnapping, and it hurts.
But God is in the business of going after children who have been snatched away spiritually. There's a beautiful picture for many a hurting parent in the story that's told in our word for today from the Word of God. Luke 7, beginning with verse 12, tells us that as Jesus approached the gate of a town called Nain, "a dead person was being carried out - the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, 'Don't cry.' Then He went up and touched the coffin and those carrying it stood still. He said, 'Young man, I say to you, get up!' The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother."
Man, I love those words. And over the centuries, Jesus has given many a lost child back to their father and mother. If Jesus can raise a child from the dead to return him to his mother, don't you think He can bring your son or daughter back from wherever they have wandered. Jesus is calling out to you this very day to say, "Don't give up. Don't lose hope. I've heard your prayers. I'm after him. I'm after her."
Jesus restores lost children. He resurrects lost children. Your job is to just keep bombarding heaven on your child's behalf, even praying that God will literally do "whatever it takes" to bring them home to Him and home to you. And keep loving them unconditionally with the love of Jesus. Your job is not to nag them about God. Let God bring them home. You just keep the door of your heart open, and only pursue steps that God Himself clearly prompts you to do.
Jesus has been finding and restoring children who've been stolen for a long, long time. And He's lovingly, skillfully pursuing that child of yours who's away. And by God's grace, you have every reason to hope sooner or later that Jesus will return that lost one to your arms ... to His arms. Remember that miracle of so many years ago, and claim it for the child you love - "Jesus gave him back to his mother."