I was recently reading about Jesus early life. I realised that I had read it a lot of times but I had never really focused on it, to observe fully and allow the Holy Spirit speak to me on what it was like growing up as the Saviour of the world! lol. I love also that it’s got several accounts in the gospels, but i’d say a personal fave is the account given by Luke, There’s something thorough about the way Luke gave His own accounts, always detailed and as someone who was there in the moment.

A particular part in Luke 2 struck a cord, it gives us a picture of Jesus parents leaving back for home from the annual event they go for every year and the bible says “they went on for a day before they realised Jesus was not present with them”. On realising this, they went back looking for Him and 3 days later, they find Him in the synagogue, teaching and listening. Let’s not even talk about the guts He had answering His parents the way He did.

But from this little snippet, I was reminded by the Holy Spirit that it is possible to continue without God for a long time without realising that He is not present with you. It is why I always say to people that the only evidence of God is God Himself, it is not money, it is not power, it is not fame and it is definitely not health. It is why we cannot automatically say that everyone who is sick or poor is in enmity with God, because the kingdom just doesn’t work that way. God hasn’t made any material thing to be an evidence of Him. His blessings may consist of these things but they in themselves cannot be seen instead of Him, they fail in substituting God in that manner.

So when we set out on missions in our lives and we start with God, it is important that at every point, we are pausing to evaluate ourselves and our moves and also ensure that Jesus is right there with us, don’t look and see the money and think it is God, don’t look and see the friends and think it is God, don’t look and see health and automatically think it is God. Look and see God and then keep going.

It beats me how His parents went on a day assuming He was with them, I mean for parents of the Saviour of the world … lol Jesus was barely 15 at this time. But we’re guilty of it even till today. Embarking on journey’s to destinations God’s presence has not called us to and doing the journey by ourselves with our strength and ability and then when we burn out we look to God like He called us there in the first place.

Let’s notice what happens when His parents realise He is not present with them. The bible says they make a journey back to where they had started the journey from, and there, they found Him again. Thank God it was just a day before they realised.

We go too far sometimes in our journey alone and when we realise we’ve lost God on the way, we pray for forgiveness which is perfect but just at 50%, the other 50% is the going back to where you’ve lost Him from. The word ‘repent’ means to go back, that’s like to turn away from something and go back. Repenting does not stop at apologising, it goes a step further to retrace steps to where you missed it from.

God is calling some of us back to certain points for the coming year. Rather than continue a journey God is not in with you, it might be that you need to get back to where you left Him and move with Him from there. The more you tarry, the more time that goes.

Look out for Jesus every step of the way. Don’t assume His approval and presence by any material thing.