How come Mary and Joseph didn't know that Jesus was staying behind? There's only one reason: He didn't tell them! That raises troublesome questions...
Jesus, the near teenager, didn't tell His parents He was going to have a sleepover! That doesn't go down well with any parent, does it?
It's hard to understand; but we just recognise, that sometimes God does not tell us everything.
It can be quite offensive when you don't get answer, when you really desperately need one. I've observed over my walk with the Lord, that I'll have some things where God is talking quite strongly, directly, specifically about.
But the things I really need the help, there's this deathly silence. I can't understand it. It's horrendous, because on one hand, God's moving, and I'll get words for people - all kinds of things for others, but what about one for me?
He's not saying anything; and then you think stuff. You go through turmoil inside; but what it does is: it forces you to search for His presence.
You make a decision, in the midst of that silence, to search for His presence; and then to notice and observe what is coming up in your life, in that silent time.
It says of Hezekiah, that God left for a season, to find out what was in his heart; so silences of God, cause what's in our heart to come up to the surface; and then we're able to engage with God. Suddenly the silence is all over!
I've got many things I need answers to, some of them are actually quite critical - and I cannot get an answer.
I just feel so wasted over that, I hate it. However, you've just got to continue to trust, childlike trust. It's in God's hands. Amen!
Yeah, but I need an answer. Needing an answer can become quite a driver; then we get offended with God, and we grieve the Holy Spirit.
So learn that sometimes He just won't give you an answer. He just wants you to walk in the last thing He gave you to do; or just in the general principles.
What about some things that you should stop doing?
Ephesians 4:30 – “Now don't grieve the Holy Ghost”. This is written to Christians!
If you grieve Him - the word grieve means: ‘to cause Him great sorrow’. He's a spirit of joy; can you imagine the ‘spirit of joy’, very sorrowful? Hurt inside, grieved inside, and drawing back, because you've wounded Him.
You've done things that hurt Me; I'm not going to come near, I'm just staying over here - and you'll just blunder on your merry way, trying to solve all your problems, until one day you wake up: my God, when's the last time I felt the presence of God?
Then tears and brokenness, and: Holy Spirit, where did I leave You? Where did I move; do things, or say things; or have an attitude that caused You to be grieved, and lift off me? You can ask that sort of thing.
So don't grieve the Holy Ghost; and it's got a whole list of things...
Ephesians 4:29 - “Don't let any corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but that which is good for building, that it imparts grace to the hearers”.
Ephesians 4:31 – “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”.
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma”.
Ephesians 5:3-5 “But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know: that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”.