01/08/2021
Do you make time to be alone with God? When the world is surrounding you and closing in from all sides is there a quiet place you can retreat to and speak intimately with the Lord? Jesus needed to withdraw from the world in such times, and we need to do the same. There is no way that we can approach our Father with a singleness of heart, mind, and soul if the clamor of the world is so loud that it continuously distracts us. Find a time, a place, and a method of separating yourself unto God.
“Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”
John 6:15 ESV
In this scripture the people who were around Him wanted to crown Jesus king, and the they were willing to force Him to accept this title, but being unwilling to accept this worldly title and position, He withdrew to the mountain where He could be in the presence of God. Jesus wasn’t sent to save Israel from Roman rule, His mission was a spiritual one. The question that each of us needs to ask ourselves is this... when Jesus told us to pick up our cross and follow Him was He asking us to follow Him into the world, or into His Father’s presence... a spiritual place?
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
John 8:12 ESV
Jesus is not of the world, He is the light that shines upon it. He is not death, but life everlasting. So if we follow Him we are following Him through the suffering He endured into eternal life, and light.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21 ESV
In as much as we are in this tumultuous world, just as Jesus was, then it stands to reason that we should follow His example in prayer. We should withdraw to the mountain where we can be alone with God, where there are no distractions, and we can dedicate our attention to Him in body, mind, and soul. This is where the clamor subsides, the thunder and lightning are subdued, and we can hear God’s voice plainly... even His still small voice.
“And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
1 Kings 19:12 KJV
We can’t hear this small voice if the storms are raging in the mountains, if the ground is shaking from many running feet, if the machinery of the world is busy crushing everything around us, or a fire of discord is raging in mankind... we need to find our quiet place like Adam did, Elijah did, and Jesus taught us to do. God desires to not only hear us, but to speak to us...
He spoke first to Adam and Eve...
“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?””
Genesis 3:9 ESV
He spoke first to Elijah...
“There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””
1 Kings 19:9 ESV
And He spoke first to, and of Jesus...
“and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””
Matthew 3:17 ESV
So let’s look about us today for that quiet place, a secret place, where we can be alone with God, and spend that personal time in His presence. Perhaps it will be in a garden like it was for Adam, the mouth of a cave like Elijah, or waist deep in the Jordan River or high upon a mountain like Jesus, but wherever we find it we should listen for God’s voice as He speaks to us, asks us where we are, or why we are there. This is where Jesus leads us, and where we pray as he taught us to pray. We should seek Him in prayer early in the morning, late in the evening, or in a secret place, but always in a quiet place of solitude.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for teaching us how to come before you in prayer. Thank you for the quiet places where our spirit becomes calm, and we can hear you clearly. Bring peace to us in these places, and let us know your will as we prepare to ask for our needs, desires, and longings. Temper the things we ask of you so that our will becomes one with yours, and we find comfort in your response. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who desires to make conversation with us like a Father with his child. Praised be your name for revealing your will to us, and answering our prayers as you have promised. Merciful are you our God who speaks lovingly to us, and forgives us as we kneel contrite before you. Your grace knows no bounds, and covers our sins with the blood of your Son Jesus; know us Father, and see in us His likeness, and hear His voice from our mouths as we pray. Judge us Holy Father, not for who we are without your Son, but as we are with Him abiding in us... give us life everlasting, and a seat at your table forevermore.
Rich Forbes