“Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:41-52 NIV)
In this particular chapter of Luke, the Bible speaks of when Mary and Joseph went into the town of Jerusalem and somehow, unknowingly, they managed to leave Jesus behind. And the Scripture says that they were looking for Him and when they found Him, they asked where He had been. And Jesus reply was simple, but posed as a question to them, v.49 “Why were you searching for Me?” He asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
As I was reading this, I heard the Lord say that many are seeking Him, wondering where He is, believing that somehow He has left them behind. That somehow, He has lost them. And what He wants us to know is that, He has not left us, but we in fact, have left Him. We have left Him behind, we have lost our focus. We have become distracted in our travels. And have become unaware of His presence. Unaware of the presence of God. But God says today, “..You will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) And you don’t have to seek hard, all you need to do is go back to where you first found Me. Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?
That place is the church.
For many of us, we first came to find the Lord in the house of the Lord. In the church. Yes, perhaps we were moved and touched by the hand of God when someone spoke a Word to us. A Word that might have set off a light in our heads and in our hearts. A Word that might have encouraged us, that sparked something in us, that said, perhaps things can be better. Perhaps we responded when we received an invitation to go to church with someone. Maybe we went when we were forced to go, as children. But whatever the reason, we found ourselves in the Father’s house, in church, and it is there where we found Jesus. Where we found the Lord. Many of us, heard the call of salvation, and walked up to the altar and on bended knee, received Him as our Lord and Savior. Some of us, even from our seat, but however we responded to the call, it yet came through the Father’s house.
So God says today, if you feel as though He has left you, if you realize that something is missing from your life, from your travels, and your situations, perhaps something is. Jesus. But He is not the one who is lost. He is where He will always be and He stands asking, “Why are you searching for Me? Don’t you know that I have to be in My Father’s house?”
As we continue our start into the new year, I encourage you if you do not know the Lord, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, get into the Father’s house. Go to church. If you feel as though something is missing, someone is… and it’s the Lord. And if you go looking for Him, God makes a promise, you will find Me. And for those who do know the Lord and have tasted of His goodness at one point and feel as though, He is not with you, God makes a promise to you as well, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you until the end of the earth. Return to where you first believed. Return to your first love. Return to your Father’s house, and search no longer.
“Don’t you know I have to be in My Father’s house? Why are you looking for Me?”
God is real. And He loves you.
Be blessed.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E
http://butgodisreal.blogspot.com
http://sis.e.home.comcast.net
http://www.ongoodground.org
In this particular chapter of Luke, the Bible speaks of when Mary and Joseph went into the town of Jerusalem and somehow, unknowingly, they managed to leave Jesus behind. And the Scripture says that they were looking for Him and when they found Him, they asked where He had been. And Jesus reply was simple, but posed as a question to them, v.49 “Why were you searching for Me?” He asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
As I was reading this, I heard the Lord say that many are seeking Him, wondering where He is, believing that somehow He has left them behind. That somehow, He has lost them. And what He wants us to know is that, He has not left us, but we in fact, have left Him. We have left Him behind, we have lost our focus. We have become distracted in our travels. And have become unaware of His presence. Unaware of the presence of God. But God says today, “..You will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) And you don’t have to seek hard, all you need to do is go back to where you first found Me. Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?
That place is the church.
For many of us, we first came to find the Lord in the house of the Lord. In the church. Yes, perhaps we were moved and touched by the hand of God when someone spoke a Word to us. A Word that might have set off a light in our heads and in our hearts. A Word that might have encouraged us, that sparked something in us, that said, perhaps things can be better. Perhaps we responded when we received an invitation to go to church with someone. Maybe we went when we were forced to go, as children. But whatever the reason, we found ourselves in the Father’s house, in church, and it is there where we found Jesus. Where we found the Lord. Many of us, heard the call of salvation, and walked up to the altar and on bended knee, received Him as our Lord and Savior. Some of us, even from our seat, but however we responded to the call, it yet came through the Father’s house.
So God says today, if you feel as though He has left you, if you realize that something is missing from your life, from your travels, and your situations, perhaps something is. Jesus. But He is not the one who is lost. He is where He will always be and He stands asking, “Why are you searching for Me? Don’t you know that I have to be in My Father’s house?”
As we continue our start into the new year, I encourage you if you do not know the Lord, if you do not know Jesus as your Savior, get into the Father’s house. Go to church. If you feel as though something is missing, someone is… and it’s the Lord. And if you go looking for Him, God makes a promise, you will find Me. And for those who do know the Lord and have tasted of His goodness at one point and feel as though, He is not with you, God makes a promise to you as well, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you until the end of the earth. Return to where you first believed. Return to your first love. Return to your Father’s house, and search no longer.
“Don’t you know I have to be in My Father’s house? Why are you looking for Me?”
God is real. And He loves you.
Be blessed.
A servant of the Lord,
Sis. E
http://butgodisreal.blogspot.com
http://sis.e.home.comcast.net
http://www.ongoodground.org