
In the last six months, the Lord has placed me into a business environment where fighting to keep the ship afloat seems to be order of day, and where small sparks can start fires that need to be put out every other day. In the midst of this daily grind of relentless crises, it is easy to lose one's focus on what is really good--and even, what is really God.
As I look at Jesus' life, it seems like his was an endless activity too--from dawn to dusk. Great crowds would follow him to hear him teach and the sick would seek him out to be healed. On one particular occasion, there were "five thousand men, besides women and children" (v.21). If we add women and children, the number in the crowd could exceed fifteen thousand persons. Jesus fed this crowd with five loaves and two fish. Jesus could turn the little we have surrendered to him into a miracle of blessings for thousands. The lesson here for busy people: Never underestimate the power of our "small" things to accomplish great blessings when employed for Christ's cause. We don't have to act big to be big.
Later on there was another miracle, this time taking place only among the disciples in a boat as Jesus came to them walking on the raging sea! Peter in a moment of excitement cried out, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." And Jesus said, "Come" and Peter in his usual impulsive knee-jerk reaction got out of the boat into the sea and walked towards Jesus! Peter did fine--until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused them onto the raging sea. Another lesson for harassed people here is this: In the midst of our daily crises, it's important to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, not on the crises that threaten to engulf us daily. When we keep our eyes focused on Jesus, we can walk above the fray.
But preceding both miraculous events, we read that Jesus did something quite unusual but habitual to him. Twice in this chapter, we read that Jesus withdrew from the crowds to a desolate place or mountain to be "by himself" (v.13, 23). On the first occasion, he did that because of the emotional exhaustion experienced after hearing that John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod the tetrarch. On the second occasion, he did it because of the physical exhaustion experienced after spending the whole day teaching and healing the crowd of 15,000 men, women and children. This withdrawing of Jesus to be "by himself" to be with God alone is perhaps the key to his sanity in the midst of a busy and hectic lifestyle.
For us busy moderns who always like to give "no time" as an excuse for avoiding tasks we don't like to do, Jesus' example of withdrawal to spend time alone with God is instructive. For Jesus, this solitude is his powerhouse. It was where where he sought God's perspective to renew himself. It is also the place where He received his marching orders from his Father that would release God's supernatural power for another busy day.
In Mark 1:35, we read that this discipline of solitude seems to be Jesus' regular habit: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35). Of course, it was not just all bible study time (it was too dark to read anyway), but it was a time to be "alone with God" in prayer. And prayer needs not necessarily be a time of endless chatter too. Prayer can be simply sitting in silence--listening for instructions from God, rather than giving instructions to God.
For too many Christians' "prayer" is nothing more than telling God what they want Him to do for them instead of listening to God to hear what He wants done through them. We have confused who is Master and who is servant.
For too many Christians' "prayer" is nothing more than telling God what they want Him to do for them instead of listening to God to hear what He wants done through them. We have confused who is Master and who is servant.
Father, teach us to make time to be alone with You daily, so that we may take daily instructions from You to allow You to accomplish Your work through us. Amen.
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