Unknown

TITLE:  Unknown
DATE: June 22, 2019
TEXT:  Isaiah 43: 5-7 – ESV - Isaiah 43:5-7 - 5 Fear not, for I am with you;  I will bring your offspring from the east,  and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up,   and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar    and my daughters from the end of the earth,  everyone who is called by my name,  whom I created for my glory,  whom I formed and made.”

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Did you ever wonder, if you went missing, whether anyone would look for you? Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I hope my wife might, at least for a few hours, try to find me.

Now the reason I bring this up is because some time ago the Washington Post carried an article about a man whose  body was found more than 30 years ago. The body was found, but that’s about all. Nobody knows who he is, where he came from, what his dreams and goals were or any of the other millions of details which make and shape a person.

Almost as an afterthought the article mentioned nobody has ever claimed him

It’s not that there weren’t any clues to the man’s identity. Experts were able to ascertain the murdered man was between 24 and 40 years of age. He was wearing a wedding ring inscribed with the name Lucy and the date of their marriage engraved into the gold. He still had his Seiko watch which carried a date written in Spanish. When he was found he was wearing blue-jeans and a T-shirt which said, “Someone went to Florida and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.”

The man also was wearing a crucifix.

The Richmond, Virginia coroner’s office knows a lot of things about the man… they just don’t know where he belongs.
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It’s not that they haven’t tried to find this man’s family, others who might still be looking for him, or those who were close enough to him to mourn his death. A forensic artist has drawn his picture; the medical examiner has had a sculpture made in the man’s likeness. The man’s image has been shown to the local Spanish-speaking community and to Central and South American embassies.

Still, after a third-of-a-century the murdered man remains unnamed, unrecognized and unclaimed. He is like the unknown soldier, except, for him there is no wreaths, no honor guard, no marble tombstone, no visitors and no nation to respect his sacrifice.

I’m afraid there are many people feel they also have been forgotten. If you are among those who feel none would mourn your life, or miss your passing, rejoice. You have a Lord Who says, “Fear not, for I am with you.” Those words assure us that everyone who has been given faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior will never be forgotten, can never be unloved. The Christ’s suffering and sacrifice upon Calvary’s cross, the victory of His open tomb says we are not just remembered, we have been redeemed.

Consider that thought for just a moment: the Lord Who has made us, has also redeemed us. We will not; we cannot be forgotten. 

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, today I give thanks that You did not just make me and forget me. You sent Your Son into this world to redeem and save me. In Your unmerited and unending love, I find peace and comfort. For this, in Jesus’ Name, I praise You. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html