Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Jesus was twelve years old. They were evidently very distracted by the excitement and business of the Feast. In fact, Mary and Joseph began their trip back to Nazareth only to realize well into the trip that Jesus was not with them. It would be three days before they would be reunited with their twelve-year-old son. It caused quite a scare in Mary and Joseph and they reprimanded Jesus for "wondering" off.
As a parent I find this story truly amazing. How can parents of the Son of God not know their only son is not in their presence? Yet, this story illustrates how each of us can become so busy that we begin to operate not realizing that Jesus is no longer with us. Obviously, there was very little fellowship taking place between Jesus and his parents during the trip.
Friend, are you experiencing daily, even moment-by-moment, fellowship with Jesus? If not, you will wake up one day and realize Jesus is not with you in your endeavors. It may, like Mary and Joseph, create a certain fear in you that you may have lost a very important relationship. Doing business without the presence of Jesus will leave us powerless and prone to live in fear. Jesus said he would never leave or forsake His children. However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him. Do not let this happen to you. He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.
