Luke 2:49 KJV

“And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

As I travelled to work I was enjoying my ‘date time’ with my Father Jesus Christ, The Lover of my soul & Lifter of my head. Just He & I, alone with an innumerable company of Angels. They are witnesses to our every deed & words. I tell Jesus  everything; I moan, I sing, sometimes out of tune; more often than not as I try and emulate the singer! You know, I often wonder if He laughs when I say “wait Lord, let me start this song again, it’s going to be better for You this time” then I make an even worse sound! Sometimes I laugh & sometimes I’m embarrassed but all the time I can be completely myself with Him. He doesn’t condemn me or my voice…

I thank Him for everything in my life especially the unseen things, the deliverance I’m unaware of. The works He does behind the scenes just for me. Sometimes it is silence – sighing at how heavy my burdens seem to weigh- telling Him my concerns about my life, like He doesn’t already know but I’m still saying it aloud! Sometimes, I’m just soaking Him in & loving on Him, praying for me & praying for others & praying for the forgiveness of our nation; praying that He will answer my prayers. At times I am worshipping His name, quoting scriptures, His Word. His Presence is so real & powerful, that I often don’t want my journey to come to an end when I arrive at my earthly destination- work; as I have to step out of The Spirit realm but not His beautiful company. I sometimes just sit in my van, post arrival to my destination & soak in the remnants of our date, our special time together, asking Him to “help me bless someone in work or through my day with whom I come into contact with, with a Word from Him”

Last Thursday morning as I was driving from East London to Hertfordshire, I heard the words of Jesus repeatedly echo in my thoughts “I am about my Father’s business..” I began to ask God why am I hearing this & then I asked Him to show me, give me a sign of what He was telling me. I pulled into the Filling station & looked up the words in scripture. I found the very reference as I quoted above, in Luke 2:49 As The Lord opened up my thoughts I began to consider each Word Jesus spoke but I put myself in Jesus place  “I -Samantha -am about – have been/is doing, my Father -Jesus’s – business-“ “have I though?” This end question astounded me. It was a moment of piercing clarity. Had I been doing what Gods purpose in my life was? Had I been doing His will? Was I walking in His obedience & was I in subjection to His Word. Had I been about His business, sharing His Gospel, The Good News Of Jesus Christ; was I “pressing forward to the mark of higher calling in Christ Jesus” or was I following my own agenda? Was I static, worse still, had I become lazy? Was I regressing? Am I a ‘Sunday worshipper’ or is my daily life walking with Him in honest worship, confession being part of this too? Finally, I found myself thinking aloud & I asked “Jesus why did you need to look for me in this moment, am I not here, present with you”, I referred to His own question posed to His parents in the scripture, where they were looking for Him and found Him days later  in the Synagogue.  “how is it you sought me..?”  I turned this question around & I asked Him & how long have I been drifting from You Lord?“ Father are you pleased with my service?”

In that moment of ‘self reflection’ The Holy Spirit revealed that He was encouraging me to do a ‘spiritual audit’ on myself. Is my service worthy, am I truly doing my Father’s business. Am I present but not truly there in mind, soul & spirit? Why did Jesus need to ask me? Different Bible versions of this scripture say; “And he said to them, Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” However, the very words I heard in my spirit was “I am about my Father’s business” & I realised in an instant I was not fully about His purpose & will in my life, I have been half heartedly about His business because I had not made it all about Jesus Christ my Saviour. I need to come up higher in Him. God, through His Holy Spirit loves me enough to show me my ways & let me know explicitly, that there is more for me to do in the field. Like Ruth in The Bible, there is more for me to “glean in the field”; the harvest for souls. There is more for me to do for The Kingdom of God, here on earth. God started the process of ‘nudging’ me to self evaluation & I had to take the honest step and audit myself. I was & am, thankful to God because in that nanosecond of a moment, I realised I had not been making it ‘all about Him’. I had let pride & sloth get in the way- I had got too busy for Jesus over a period of time & was blind to it..wow. This clarity opened my ears & eyes. One writer called these moments a “God wink”, I had experienced a spiritual revelation. My agenda had shifted from Gods will & purpose & He was bringing it to my attention. I was on track to complete my God given journey but I started veering off path not even realising it, thinking my ‘servuce’ was acceptable but my Satellite Navigator Jesus Christ decided on Thursday morning I needed “Re-Routing”, He let me see He was recalculating my route, thank you Jesus. He didn’t shower down “brimstone & fire”, He was beautifully gentle & made me see there is a better route for me in order to reach His destination, the one He already mapped out in intricate detail & purposed for my life. I had taken my eye off the Navigator but He never took His eye off me or left me, He is loving me enough to show me this.  My busyness, tiredness, excuses & laziness – yes I began to be brutally honest with myself , had moved me from being about “my Father’s business”; I began to speak aloud again  “Father, steer me back on course” & tears of joy & thanksgiving began to drain from me. He loved me enough to show me I needed to return to the centre of Him because nothing really matters but doing His will, in whatever way, He has ordained for me to do, you too. The song coming from my van began to play in agreement with The Holy Spirit “I’m sinking down in grace, deeper than the ocean. Fully immersed though I don’t deserve. What could I give but a life laid down
In worship; It’s all about You. It’s all about You, Jesus, oh Jesus.

A billion stars can’t outshine Your glory
Your love is vast and Your heart is kind
I give You my life and You rewrite my story
To bring You praise

I’m swept away in the tides of Your mercy
Washed in Your love, I have come undone
I let go of pride and I lift my voice
For Your glory!

It’s all about You. It’s all about You, Jesus, oh Jesus.”

This song was all I wanted to say & do but didn’t know I was at that place where it needed to be said & done. Jesus was speaking His heart of love & mercy to me on our ‘date’. He wants me to know the value He has placed on our meeting time, He used that time to tell me “Samantha a change is needed here. Turn back your focus on me, don’t stay where you are, I need you to change course, I require more your time, faithfulness & devotion” Such love I felt in that moment, filled me to overflowing & then even more tears fell. Deeper, richer, the powerful force of His agape love overwhelmed me. How eternally grateful am I to Him for this shower of grace. When I arrived at work instead of appearing like a wreck from crying my heart & eyes out, colleagues asked me what I “used on my skin as I was glowing”. “It is The healing Balm of The Holy Spirit, The glory of The Lord”, I told those who asked. “It’s called blessings”. Yes! I proudly declared Who it is keeping me daily, second by second even, it’s not anything- no lotion or anyone other than my Father, Jesus Christ. He, in that moment, rejuvenated my soul & spirit & took me to a higher level in Him.

Are you about your Father’s business, The work of our Lord Jesus Christ? Are you prepared to till the land & glean the harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God? What has become important to you, is it a heart of Service & worship? Indeed, is it all about Jesus? Today I encourage you to meet with God, seek His will & direction for your life. To complete the tasks with the talents He has given us. Follow The only Satellite Navigator who knows the whole journey of our lives because “Jesus  is The Way, The Truth & The Life”.

Please pray for LCPF‘s Annual Christian Celebration where we are joining with all the Emergency Services to give thanks. Pray that God will make every crooked way straight & grant us favour along the way, so that the night will be a success & bring in harvest for The Kingdom of God, not only in the night but going forward in Jesus name, amen

”Yes Jesus loves me, The Bible tells me so”

God bless you,

 Samantha ?