Do You Notice When HE's Gone?
“And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned , the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass , that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, & asking them questions .”
Joseph & Mary went to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of Passover. They traveled with a company of "kinsfolk & acquaintance." During one visit, when Jesus was approx 12 years old, they unknowingly lost Him. I say "unknowingly" because, although they had lost sight of him, they assumed He was still among them, in the company of people that they trusted. After one day, they realized that He was gone.
When reading slowly through this familiar passage of scripture, the question arose in my spirit, "Do You Notice When He's Gone?" Now, I know that He is always with us and that the Word says that He will never leave us or forsake us. I'm not talking about that type of "gone." I'm talking about the type of gone that it suddenly hits you that it's been days, weeks or even months since the last time you had any "alone time" with the Lord. The type of gone when you realize that there is dust on your Bible. The type of gone when you find yourself skipping prayer and events in order to stay home and watch your favorite show. The type of gone when everything the Pastor says on a Sunday morning irritates you and sounds condemning. Not gone because He left us, but gone because we wandered away from Him.
Has this hit a nerve?
Is He Gone Now?
What do you do about it?
Joseph and Mary turned around and re-traced their steps. They went back to their last place of encounter. Where did they find Him? In the temple: In the place of Worship & The Word! We need to do the same thing! Turn on the CD that used to bring you to the "place" and worship the Lord. Wake up early, get your coffee or tea, open your Bible and read the Psalms. Spend time with the One who desires to spend time with you.