Jesus Found Me ! Did I even know I was lost?

Jesus Found Me –
From just plain old Calvin Cook
September 15, 2025
Though this morning’s devotional is coming from a pastor’s heart, I don’t want the Pastor title to get in the way. This is just one struggling believer and follower of Jesus speaking to another or hopefully to one who is searching in life for more.

I was scoping through social media the other day. It is a way to keep track of people who I am concerned with and where they are in their faith journey. The things that are said on social media, the post that we like, the comments and postings we make is what much of the world is gauging their opinions on of you. Many times, distorting where we actually are or think we are.

One person who I have been watching grow in Christ, and their relationship made a social media post that they now were a believer of Jesus and working hard every day to establish a life in Christ. A person asked them “Did you find Jesus ?” to which the person’s response was “No, Jesus found me.”

Over the last couple of days, I have been thinking of this observed conversation and centering some thoughts and prayers on the tough journey we have to leave the things that have bound us, oppressed us, and kept us captive in a life of sin, distancing from God’s love for us.

My story of Jesus is not an exciting saved from a life of destruction testimony. I was just a normal, everyday kid, raised in a God-fearing home, Mom and Dad in the same home every day, the normal brother and sister conflict, normal life — school, community involvement, Sunday school (sometimes), but then something happened. Something took place that caused me to see and experience that I was searching. Not sure what I was searching for, but something? But then Jesus broke in and removed the oppression before I knew what oppression even was. I didn’t realize then but now looking back, I was running in the opposite direction of Jesus. My mind at 15 was filled with my own plans, my heart consumed with my own thoughts that hit every 15 year old about being popular enough, strong enough, good looking enough, and everything else that is not just what a 15 year old struggles through but all of us at any age.

But in the restlessness that I was experiencing, someone knocked on the door and introduced me to a Jesus that I had never heard about before. In the very place of everything because of that introduction, and I still confirm the speaking of the Holy Spirit to my young heart, I made a commitment and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. Didn’t even at that point know what that meant other than what the TV Evangelist said – I was saved from burning in hell.

In the place I was in – Jesus met me. In that very place Jesus stepped off the felt backed board in a Sunday school class and became real, became more than just a story. I’d like to say everything from that point has been simple and easy, but it hasn’t, and most of that is on me, because I am still a sinner still trying to reach perfection.

Sometimes we think that faith is about climbing up, reaching for, God. That we think by cleaning ourselves up, going to church, doing good deeds, not swearing, stealing or killing someone is enough. But the truth of the Gospel is this: Jesus comes down to us. That is why He came to earth. He steps into our story. He finds us where we are.

Jesus said in Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Does that mean that the mission of God, has always been to come after me and you, to look at the mess we are in, rescue us from the place we couldn’t rescue ourselves from.

The shepherd in Luke 15, leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep, Jesus didn’t wait for me to find my way home. He carried me. He lifted me out of the pit I dug for myself. He restored me when I couldn’t restore myself.

So when we say – Jesus found me it also includes : His grace rescued me, His love changed me, and presence gave me worthiness. A worthiness that is not defined by what the world says, but by what and who I am to God – I have become the beloved.
And all of this I didn’t deserve, I didn’t earn it, I can’t buy it or steal it, but yet I must receive it. I must be willing to say Yes and never turn back.

Right now – God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is right where you are. Can you feel it? Are you ready to experience it? Needing renewal in your life? The prayer is simple – but pray it in your own words – don’t make this prayer or commitment someone else’s words, that is why we call this a personal relationship.

Please know this – you are loved by God, you are not who people say you are, you have no expectation to fulfill other than Gods expectation to “love God with your whole heart, mind, and soul.”

Over the course of the next days, I want to talk with you through these devotionals or in person about a relationship with Jesus, the tough parts of it, the tough questions we ask and what it means to be more than a believer but a follower, a disciple, a totally committed Christian and child of God.

Let’s do this journey together with Jesus guiding us !