In the throne room of the Lord your soul is known. Intimately known. Joyfully found. Lovingly bound to His in a way nobody else knows you. He knows you. Shows you treasures in the mysteries of His Heavens made for you. Leads you on adventures in the buoyancy of river rapids rushing for you into the ocean blue. His soul is the ocean flowing freely. And there is freedom in His voice.

Sunlight shines in the atmosphere He made to highlight His greatness. Love ignites with one word. The logos of His heartbeat. He is the sunlight shinig in my wolrd every second. Every moment. Every day.

Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John‬ ‭9:5‬

He is the light of my world.

“One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” Psalm‬ ‭27:4‬ ‭

He’s always in my world by the power of the Holy Spirit. He connects me to Heaven. Connects me to life. His light is my Zion. His Zion is my home, held in the ions of His arms.

Home is where Jesus is.

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” 🥰
‭‭John‬ ‭14:23‬ ‭

Home is in you. When Jesus indwells you.

“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32:18‬ ‭

His Word says, love Me first. So I do. Love Him first. 

There’s only one way forward and it’s the path that leads you straight to God. Straight to His House. Straight to His heart. To linger there and worship there. To be loved there and known there. You see yourself perfectly when you’re in His House. His dwelling place. His holy place. You see who you are in the reflection of His gaze looking back at you. You see who are in the affections of His heart burning for you day and night. And you never want to leave… so you never do.

When Jesus was a child, He knew where home was. In God’s House.

Jesus didn’t want to leave God’s House either. He wanted to stay there forever, long after the others had gone. We read about this in Luke chapter 2 when Jesus’ family travels to Jerusalem for the Passover event.

“Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.”

Luke 2:41-42

His family stays in Jerusalem for several days, and then travels on but Jesus diverts from their travel plan

Jesus knows where He belongs. He doesn’t let anyone thwart that pathway. Not even His own family.

“When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.”

Luke 2:43-44

Jesus parents looked for Jesus on the road they travelled and did not find Him. But Jesus was at home. In God’s House. Right where He needed to be.

Have you ever lost Jesus?

Jesus’ own parents did.

Jesus’ parents let Jesus get out of thier sight and by the time they reached their destination, they realized He was not there. This tells us they did not involve Jesus in the navigation of their journey, or else they would have needed Him along the way and realized before they left that He was not present.

Involve Jesus in your navigation and you arrive at the correct destination. 

Jesus is only 12 years old at this point, but He is already showing His Lordship in His resolve to make his own choice about where He needs to be. Where everyone needed to be. In the House of God. So He stays behind in Jerusalem.

Everything Jesus does carries a purpose and a reason. 

Jesus is too valuable to lose. Don’t lose Him for anything.

By the time Jesus’ parents realize He is missing, they are already one day away from Jerusalem. Their first instinct is to look for Him among their “relatives and acquaintances” but Jesus is about to reveal that He has another priority in terms of who He chooses to be with. And its not the family reunion. The one He chose to be with is in Jerusalem. So He stays. 

Are you willing to stay with the One who matters most?

Let’s keep reading to find out who this One is.

“And when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”

Luke 2:45-46

There He was. In the temple interacting with the teachers like He was one of them. Little did they know, He was the One. The One their faith was waiting for. The Messiah. And at 12 years old, Jesus was smart and brilliant, confident and inquisitive enough to tango with the religious teachers and talk to them about everything pertaining to the Jewish faith.

“And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.”

Luke 2:47

That’s where He wanted to be. In the temple, where His Father’s presence was.

His parents went back to Jerusalem to look for Him. They were only a day’s journey away, but it took them 3 days to find Him. I wonder why? Didn’t they know He would be in the temple where He fit in? He is the Messiah, after all. But they did not know where He was and did not know where to look. That is pretty revealing of their lack of awareness of who Jesus was at 12 years old. They did not fully grasp who He was.

Verse 46 says, “after 3 days they found Him.”

Three days. The symbolism of the three day search mirrors the three days that passed before the day of His resurrection. On the third day Jesus arose from the tomb they concealed his dead body in and rose to life with the full presence of God inside of Him. Then, Jesus ascended to His Father in Heaven in the presence of God, as the Son of God. And now, as a boy, He finds His home in the temple.

And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

Luke 2:48

Jesus will not accomodate your distress if it means abandoning His Father’s House.

Don’t ever silence your faith in order to make someone else feel comfortable.

Don’t ever follow someone else’s path if it takes you away from where God says to be.

Jesus did not follow His parents. He followed God.

When Jesus was a child, he had to cut ties with his family for a time so that He could do for them what no one else could do for them… die and be raised to life. This often neccessitated time away from them where He could be alone with the Father and dwell in the house of the Lord. This is His first purpose.

“And He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49

In other words, why are you worried about the Son of God? Shouldn’t I be worried about you?

Jesus must be with the Father at all times. 

Jesus reveals how to navigate the grey area of respecting your parents but also not letting your parents dictate your path. Jesus is firm and clear, even as a 12 year old, but His words are spot-on so that His parents have nothing they can say to it. Because they know He’s right. Remember, Jesus is love. He loves His parents, and he is gentle with them but He also knows he must bear with them in their humanity of how to parent the Messiah of the world.

“With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

If His parents truly knew Jesus well, they would have known where He was and where He needed to be. In the temple. His Father’s House. 

We find out here that Jesus’ parents neglected getting to know Jesus. They had no idea who He was as a 12 year old. Sure, they knew He was prophesied to be the Messiah. But they let the boyish facade eclipse His divine identity in the here-and-now. And He was not like every other kid. He a God.

“And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”

Luke 2:50-51

Jesus does go with them after this occurence, but He needed to make something vitally clear: God’s House take priority over His family’s house.

Who’s house are your prioritizing? God’s House? Or your family’s house?

Prioritizing God’s House does not mean you abandon your family forever, but it does mean abandoning them at times where you have to choose between the two. It does mean loving God more.

Love God more than your family, and you point your family to God. 

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Your family cannot get to God unless they go through Jesus. Show them how. Let Jesus be the one in charge.

At first, verse 50 says they did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. But soon, they will. Soon, Mary sees. And Mary knows.

Mary begins to see the glory of God as a result of Jesus’ rogue activity. 

Verse 51 says “his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”

I like this. She knew the glory of the Messiah was being manifested right in front of her. And so she held the matter close to her heart and savored the opportunity to mother the God of the universe. 

This is the same phrase from Mary that we see in Luke 2:19 when Jesus birth was told to her… it says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary is learning to treasure the gift of her son, who is the Messiah. Even when she cannot understand His actions. She remembers He is God and she has to yield to that. This moment of Jesus’ presence in the temple interacting with the teachers marvelled Mary just as much as the first time she heard she would be pregnant with Him, the Son of God. Thus, this is a colossal moment. 

From this story, we learn that Jesus is the one who calls the shots. Even as a child. He did not disrespect His parents by abandoning their caravan and staying behind. Rather, he respected the One True Father He was sent into the earth by: God Himself. Jesus knew from a young age that yielding to God first was always the right path. He also knew from a young age that He was meant to be in His Father’s House. He wanted to be in His Father’s House. He wanted to be in the temple where the holy scriptures were taught. The same holy scriptures he wrote through the Holy Spirit through his human vessels, created by His own hands in tandem with the Father God. Why would He want to be anywhere else but in God’s House?

The Son of God was made to be in the House of God.

Where were you made to be?

I want to be anywhere Jesus is… 

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

Gather with other people who also want to be in God’s House. 

You need to surround yourself with Jesus-loving friends. If your family does not love Jesus, then don’t spend too much time with them lest they crush your spirit and trample on your heart. Don’t give your pearls to pigs. Family is marked by the unity of Christ, and you know it when you experience it with another. Ultimately, treat everyone with kindness that the love of God might be given to everyone around you. There is never a reason not to love. Love is always right. 

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

A brother or sister in Christ stands by you in everything. Find those kinds of friends.

Jesus went to the temple because He wanted to commune with other people who were seeking the presence of God. He didn’t need to leave when His fmaily left. He wanted to stay. Don’t let your family lead your faith. Let your faith lead your family.

Jesus didn’t want to go anywhere else. He wanted to stay in the holy place on earth. The one place where He could commune with God the Father and it was as if earth did not exist. Heaven was closer than ever. There in the tabernacle hosting the presence of God.

Jesus’ parents made an assumption that Jesus was with them where He needed to be. But He wasn’t. And they were already miles and miles ahead without Him. Don’t assume Jesus is with you if you neglect to keep Him close to you. He wants to be with you, but it’s up to you to love Him and love Him so much that you never lose sight of Him.

Your journey needs to be led by Jesus Himself.

When God leads the journey, you won’t lose Him. And You won’t have to wonder where He is. You will know He is with you.

Verse 45 says, “So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.”

Jesus beckons His family to return to Jerusalem.

Be the one who beckons your family back to God. Back to Zion. Back to the House of God. Back to Jesus.

Do you involve Jesus in your navigation?

You need to.

So that you will get to the right destination.

He is your GPS.

No one else can guide you except for Him and HE can only guide you if you invite Him to be the leader. It starts asking Him to come close and looking into His eyes, asking for His input and His advice on every matter. Journey with Him and let Him lead.

Don’t let Jesus get out of sight.

Keep Him close and intimate wherever you go.

“If Your Presence does not go with us,” Moses replied, “do not lead us up from here.”

Exodus 33:15

He travels with me

my travel guide

my tour guide

my night light

my lifeline

take me anywhere

wake me anywhere

I want to follow after You my King

I don’t want to go anywhere Jesus is not present. I only want to travel with Jesus. So He takes me with Him on His journey for me. Every step. Every day. Every moment.

I want to go everywhere Jesus is alive and vibrant!

Let Jesus lead your journey.

When you let Jesus lead your journey, He makes it come to life with excitement and adventure.

When Jesus abandoned His family to stay behind, He was not saying He did not love them. In fact, it was because of love He even came to the earth in the first place! It was because of love He humbled Himself to be a little boy and let a human man and woman have jurisdiction over him for a time as his parents. It was because of love He wanted to be a part of their family. But Jesus’ first purpose was to be the Son of God. And the Son of God has to be in the House of God.

The Spirit of God attracts the Spirit of God.

The House of God attracts the people of God.

“A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Psalm 122:1

You love to be in God’s house when you have fallen in love with God.

I love the beginning of this verse from King David in how the psalm is labeled. It says,  “A Song of Ascents.” David’s heart was in a state of ascension when He wrote this. His heart was elated with love for the highest King, Yahweh. And speaking out his heart utterances to God only elevated his heart even more so that he calls this psalm of his a song of ascents.

Your heart ascends into Heaven when you enter into God’s House.

You carry His Spirit with you wherever you go, and when you sense another Spirit hosting His Spirit you immediately connect. I want to be where God’s Spirit is. I connect with others who also carry His Spirit because we are one in Jesus Christ.

When the Holy Spirit needs to move you into something greater, He will condition your circumstances so that you can no longer stay in the former state of conditions. And you will have no choice but to go and move. The Holy Spirit

Jesus’ highest purpose exists to accomplish His mission and that includes loving His Father.

Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!
² You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
⁴ For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.”

Psalm 135:1-4

Standing in the house of the Lord is always your greatest destiny. You stand in His love wherever He takes you. Because His Holy Spirit indwells you now that Jesus Christ has died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. This is the gift of the Holy Spirit left behind for us so that we can connect with God wherever we are.

Jesus resolve to stay in Jerusalem in the house of God beckoned His own family to return to this holy place. 

Jesus wants to beckon you to Jerusalem… The place of oneness with Him. Unity with Him. Love with Him.

He knows how to woo you.♥️

Let Him speak His love over you…

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.” Hosea‬ ‭2:14-15

Let Him fill you.

God wants to occupy your intimate space.

You are the house of the Lord…

You carry God’s temple in you wherever you go.

Let Him take up residence in you.

when everyone else is gone

 I’m still here with You

because I can’t leave You

I don’t want to

be without You

when everyone else comes home

I’ll still be here with You

because I love You

and I want to

love You forever

be my King forever

I am Your Bride forever

 

“Oh, that He would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For Your love is more delightful than wine. The fragrance of Your perfume is intoxicating; Your Name is perfume poured out.”

Song of Solomon 1:1-3