ALONE—With GOD & ALONE—With OTHERS Who Also BELIEVE
Alone.
Alone with yourself only.
Alone and separated from the world of others.
Alone with God.
Alone with others who are in ministry, serving Holy God, with you.
“And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)
And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.”
(Mark 6: 31-32)
There are times within our lives when we need to get into the boat and leave, going with only Jesus and with others who also believe as Christ followers (as we do).
A Going Away.
A Sabbatical.
A Hiatus.
A Rest.
A Relaxation away, from our time of ministry.
A Locking Inside Our Prayer Closet.
What that looks like in your life, I do not know. Oftentimes, what that looks like within my own life I do not know.
Maybe this “going away,” this “coming away,” & this “leaving” may be found within the drive home from a long day of work. Quite possibly, this “resting time” can be found when we are away from our work and allow ourselves to be bodily moved to another place (both physically and mentally). A further “leaving” can be found in stopping a task for a while, even a task that is “good.”
All individuals need to be ALONE—With GOD.
All individuals need to be ALONE—With OTHERS Who Also Believe (as we do).
ALL INDIVIDUALS NEED “ALONE” TIME.
ALL INDIVIDUALS NEED “ALONE” Time With GOD & “ALONE” Time With OTHER BELIEVERS—
- PRAYING—TOGETHER & ALONE With GOD.
- STUDYING GOD’S WORD—TOGETHER & ALONE With GOD.
- PRAISING GOD—TOGETHER & ALONE With GOD.
- WORSHIPPING—TOGETHER & ALONE With GOD.
Most definitely, this is true.
If this was important to Jesus for His own apostles, why do we think He would not desire the same thing today for His disciples here on earth? He would & He does.
Even in the Old Testament, we find so many instances when God spoke to someone when he was all alone. Joseph was sitting in the bottom of the pit where he had been tricked and tossed. David was in the fields shepherding the lambs for his father. Moses was tending sheep, standing in the midst of his flock. It was in “that ALONE time” when Moses heard the LORD speak.
“So Moses said, “I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!”
When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
(Exodus 3: 3-4)
There are so many things we can deduct today from both of these Scripture passages.
- God knows what we need.
- God takes us where we need to go so that we can be ALONE with HIM.
- God separates us from the cares of life when we GO With HIM to the ALONE place.
- God brings us the rest we often need but cannot receive on our own.
- God knows how to bring us seclusion from the world, even while we remain surrounded by other believers.
- God understands the nourishment our souls crave.
- God provides miraculous ways to gain our attention (oftentimes).
- God speaks once HE has our undivided attention.
How we answer—Whether we go—How we respond—Whether we seek God’s peace offered—How we listen—Whether we hear God—How we receive God—IT IS TOTALLY UP TO OUR WILLINGNESS—TO GO—TO BE—ALL ALONE WITH GOD! &—IT IS TOTALLY UP TO OUR WILLINGNESS—TO GO—TO BE—ALL ALONE WITH OTHERS WHO ALSO BELIEVE AS WE BELIEVE!
Divine encounters with God are precious and holy moments that come as God directs. However, how much easier these divine encounters are to see and to experience when we have given our undivided attention to the LORD. Jesus comes & He speaks with us when He has something He wishes for us to learn or to do.
We must be still & We must be attentive & We must be listening & We Must Be ALONE With God.
We must be still & We must be attentive & We must be obediently listening and reading & We must be following His Word.
We must be still & We must be attentive & We must be encouraging others who are listening, reading, studying, and following His Word as we are doing.
We Must be ALONE—With GOD & With OTHERS Who Also BELIEVE (so that we can be rejuvenated, rested, and ready to return to the work God has for us to do).
May we (as Moses responded) also say—“Here I am.” (Exodus 3: 4b)
May we (as Jesus’ apostles acted) also respond and do—“And they went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.” (Mark 6: 32)
May we find opportunity this day to Be ALONE—With GOD & Be ALONE With OTHERS Who Also BELIEVE.
It is extremely important to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
- So, let us not delay.
- So let us not put off what we desperately need.
NO, LET US NOT DELAY!