As a child, my parents expected us to behave ourselves whenever they took us shopping. But, as children often do, we soon became bored with the process of shopping. The racks of clothes seemed to be the perfect spot to hide. What was the harm in hiding among the clothes and jumping out at your brothers? Despite repeated warnings, we continued in our games of hide and seek.
During one hiding phase, my parents became lost. When I discovered that my parents were not where they should be, I looked down the next aisle. Too short to look over anything, I continued to search as fear took hold. Finally, crying, I approached the saleslady. She announced for all the World at Montgomery Ward that "there was a little lost girl named Laurie and would her parents please come and get her."
My mother was not ecstatic to see me or overjoyed that her lost baby was found. Instead, she called me "Laurel Dawn." I was reminded of the importance of staying with her, listening to her, obeying her. She hoped I had "learned a lesson." I had.
Jesus and his parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. They traveled with kinsfolk and acquaintances. They celebrated and worshipped at the temple. On the way home, after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph discovered that their twelve year old son was missing. His parents returned to Jerusalem and searched for him for three days! How distraught, relieved, aggravated, and overjoyed they must have felt when they found him in the temple! His mother asked Him, "Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."(Luke 2:48 NLT) But Jesus replied, "Why were you searching? You should have known that I must be about my Father’s business." (v.49) His parents didn’t understand. Jesus returned to Nazareth and was obedient. But Jesus was plainly saying; Where else would I be? You know where I must be and what I must do.
So many people are searching for God. They thirst after Him, their souls hunger for Him. They look here, they look there. They try this, they try that. They philosophize and expound, "Where is God?" They are frantic in their searching, spend years and lifetimes trying to find Jesus. It’s really quite simple. He is in His church! Why are you looking anywhere else ? He is in the temple!
Jesus is in the temple. Jesus is in the church! Surprise! Don’t you know He must be there? When we give ourselves to Christ and bury the old man, we become a new creature in Christ Jesus. That new creature is the temple of God! You are God’s temple! (I Corinthians 3:16-17) There He is, in me! No more frantic searching, He must be there doing the Father’s work in His temple! He must be there - making me like Him! Here He is; "above all, through you all, and in you all!" (Ephesians 4:6) Rest in the knowledge, worship in the awesome revelation. He is right here every minute of every day of your life. He is right here in all His power, majesty, and glory. God is in His temple: Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient!
Where is He? Here!
"O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship you in your Temple." Psalm 48:9 (NLT)
"But the Lord is in His holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him." Habakkuk 2:20 (NLT)
"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being;…" Acts 17:28
"…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelation 21:3
During one hiding phase, my parents became lost. When I discovered that my parents were not where they should be, I looked down the next aisle. Too short to look over anything, I continued to search as fear took hold. Finally, crying, I approached the saleslady. She announced for all the World at Montgomery Ward that "there was a little lost girl named Laurie and would her parents please come and get her."
My mother was not ecstatic to see me or overjoyed that her lost baby was found. Instead, she called me "Laurel Dawn." I was reminded of the importance of staying with her, listening to her, obeying her. She hoped I had "learned a lesson." I had.
Jesus and his parents went to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover. They traveled with kinsfolk and acquaintances. They celebrated and worshipped at the temple. On the way home, after a day’s journey, Mary and Joseph discovered that their twelve year old son was missing. His parents returned to Jerusalem and searched for him for three days! How distraught, relieved, aggravated, and overjoyed they must have felt when they found him in the temple! His mother asked Him, "Son! Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere."(Luke 2:48 NLT) But Jesus replied, "Why were you searching? You should have known that I must be about my Father’s business." (v.49) His parents didn’t understand. Jesus returned to Nazareth and was obedient. But Jesus was plainly saying; Where else would I be? You know where I must be and what I must do.
So many people are searching for God. They thirst after Him, their souls hunger for Him. They look here, they look there. They try this, they try that. They philosophize and expound, "Where is God?" They are frantic in their searching, spend years and lifetimes trying to find Jesus. It’s really quite simple. He is in His church! Why are you looking anywhere else ? He is in the temple!
Jesus is in the temple. Jesus is in the church! Surprise! Don’t you know He must be there? When we give ourselves to Christ and bury the old man, we become a new creature in Christ Jesus. That new creature is the temple of God! You are God’s temple! (I Corinthians 3:16-17) There He is, in me! No more frantic searching, He must be there doing the Father’s work in His temple! He must be there - making me like Him! Here He is; "above all, through you all, and in you all!" (Ephesians 4:6) Rest in the knowledge, worship in the awesome revelation. He is right here every minute of every day of your life. He is right here in all His power, majesty, and glory. God is in His temple: Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient!
Where is He? Here!
"O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship you in your Temple." Psalm 48:9 (NLT)
"But the Lord is in His holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him." Habakkuk 2:20 (NLT)
"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being;…" Acts 17:28
"…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelation 21:3
Editorial Note: Laurel is the daughter of Charles and Betty Austin. The Willams family lives in the Orange, Texas area and attends the Pentecostal Church in Vidor, where they are a vital part of the body of Christ.
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