Assuming God’s Presence – Paul Chappell

“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.”

Luke 2:43–45

In the days when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover, it was not safe to travel alone, so often a large group of people from one city or region would join together to make the trip to the Temple for the feast days. This was the case when Jesus was twelve and His family joined with friends and relations to go to Jerusalem. After the week-long observance of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the group headed home, but Jesus stayed behind. It was not until a full day had passed that Joseph and Mary realized Jesus was not in the group.

Often we think that just because we are regularly in church and carry on the outward forms of Christianity, we have a close relationship with God. Yet tragically, many Christians go through much of their lives without evidence of His presence and power. They assume that He is there (and of course the Holy Spirit never leaves a true believer) without stopping to realize that something is missing.

We should be so reliant on God for our daily lives that we cannot miss Him even for a moment without noticing. The devil tempts us to replace God-dependence with self-reliance. He does not mind if we do good things in our own strength, but he knows that it is only God’s power that can stand against him. As the old hymn “Brethren We Have Met To Worship” puts it, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.”