Escape with purpose
But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. (Luke 5:16)
Hello Saints,
Withdraw? Draw away from people, from life on planet earth, with all of its problems and idiosyncrasies. Draw away from annoyances, demands, expectations, pressure. Draw away from the news, the brokenness of society, the complaining and criticism that floods the airwaves. Turn the phone off; better yet…leave it at home. Escape! Rest! Relax! Unwind! Commune with your Father in the secret place. Withdraw and Wilderness – the two W’s of “filling up” and recharging. Like the depleted electric car that just needs to sit in an empty parking space plugged into the power source, so must we. If it’s necessary for Jesus… withdrawal into the wilderness is necessary for us. Seriously! Do you do it? How often? ‘Wilderness’ is also translated ‘lonely places’. That means no one else is around! Including your spouse, your kids, your friends. It doesn’t matter how extraverted or outgoing you are, everyone needs time alone with Dad! When you get alone with your heavenly Father, you even find yourself eventually escaping from you – the hardest thing to do. Cast your cares, empty your mind, pour out your heart, quiet down and tune in to the voice of your Creator, Sustainer, and Joy. So seriously! Do you do it? How often?
Jesus did it often! In Matthew 14 Jesus gets the terrible news that His cousin John the Baptist was viciously murdered. His response was, “He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (14:13). But the crowds showed up – thousands of people. He missed His “quiet time with His Father” or it was severely cut short. Moved with compassion, Jesus ministered to the multitude for hours, until evening. At the right time, He sent His disciples away by boat, sent the crowds away, and resumed His ‘escape with purpose’. He was on the mountain “by Himself”, and “alone” (14:23). Is there any other way to be ‘alone’ and ‘by yourself’? The repetition is blatantly obvious! It was a necessity, an imperative for Jesus to be recharged, in solitude with His Father. Out of that alone time with Dad, comes an amazing demonstration of power… He walks on water and calms the storm.
I spend a lot of time alone. Walking and biking are my escapes of choice, but often I have a headset on listening to sermons, or music. Sometimes my mind is just full of thoughts that would need a four hour walk before it is empty enough to have meaningful communion with my Father. On Saturday, I took Jesus’ example, got my canoe and “withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place”. The sun was shining, the small lake was pristine and once in the canoe, I was alone on the water. As I paddled along the shore, I saw numerous fish swimming in and out of the weeds and jumping out of the water. The sound of the birds, the wind through the trees, and my paddle breaking the water surface was blissful calm – perfect for communing with my Father. Nothing earth-shattering, just admiring His creative glory, praising Him for a body able to paddle and provision to afford this moment - entering into the joy of His presence. Seeing all the fish swim under me was a definite blessing from my loving Father. Renewed, recharged, re-centered and ready for the real world again. A worthwhile purposeful escape. It was a necessity for the Son of God, how much more so for us earthlings. Jesus planned it as part of His regular routine; it was a repeated pattern of life, hence “often”. He withdrew “alone” where there were no people. It was the “wilderness” away from the hustle and bustle of “life”, where thoughts could shift away from “me” to Father God. What is your purposeful escape? Guard it! Pursue it! Enjoy it!
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
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