Have you ever lost one of your kids? I am so thankful I never have and I am praying I never will!!! We now live in a completely different world, compared to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but did you know they lost Jesus?? Yes the king of the world was lost from his parents.
You can read all about it in Luke 2. It was when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem during the passover...Jesus was not a baby he was about 12 years old. So when the festival ended Mary and Joseph left to go home and never realized Jesus was not with them. How did they not realize he was not there is beyond my thinking but I suppose just like today we are busy and task oriented and we forget important things all the time.
As a parent it is hard to think I will ever lose my child but beyond losing my child this story really made me think deep in my own heart... have I ever lost Jesus. Have I ever gotten so caught up with my every day things and distractions that I forgot to stop and pray and worship my king? I know there have been several times where I get going on my day thinking I am walking with the Lord and then I stop and realized I have been doing my own thing. I know there have been days when I skipped my Bible time, when I was too cranky to spend even 10 minutes in prayer.
Joseph and Mary did not find Jesus for 3 days... 3 whole days!!! It is easier to loose that connection with God then to recapture and get it back after we have lost it. It is easier to skip more devo's and prayers when we have missed them for several days in a row. It is easier to skip another church service when we have not been there in weeks. It is easier to not take the time to pray for someone hurting because you have not been listening to the Holy Spirits guidance. We must remain in HIS presence, we must remember that God should always have a home in our houses with our families and in our hearts.
If you have gotten so far away from God's presence I encourage you right now to stop and pray.
Father God, I pray that our hearts would be on fire to know you more. That we would crave being in your presence. Father I declare an awakening in Christians around the world, WAKE US UP! Thank you for your forgiveness and your guidance in my life. Lord I pray that someone reading this will be changed forever! I pray right now that someone who was lost in sin has found your face, your forgiveness, and is ready to surrender their life. Let your Holy-spirit guide and direct our steps and give us a new boldness in our faith. AMEN
The Boy Jesus at the Temple
John 2:41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 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.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
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