OPENING
Time spent alone with someone who is a close friend is vital to a relationship. Whether it’s a friendship, a marriage, or a relationship with your children or parents, you often benefit from time alone with them. Most people don’t spend enough quality time with those who are close to them. Quality time together, without interruption, helps you discover things you never knew about that person, even your own child or parent.
When you’re spending time alone with your Lord, you must realize that this quality time is essential to your spiritual well being.
COMMENTARY
If you look back at the book of Mark Chap. 8, in this book alone, you can see that for days Jesus had been preaching to groups of thousands, healing the blind, dealing with the Pharisees, teaching His disciples. Even after witnessing miracles like increasing the bread and fish, they got into a boat with Jesus and had to be chided for their concern over how little bread they had. Jesus had fed four thousand with nearly nothing and had seven baskets full of leftovers, and five thousand beginning with nearly nothing and had twelve baskets full left over. What is wrong with us? We see God doing so much in our lives but still, we worry.
Why? Let me challenge you to do something. This week, keep a journal of your activities, including hours spent on some activities that take most of your time. See how much time you spend alone with God. That will help explain why you worry so much. When you get into the fullness of the Lord, you can sense the strength that He longs to give each of us. He wants to give us the peace that passes all understanding. Read Philippians 4:1-9 Paul writes this letter to the church that he started at Philippi (As told in Acts 16:11-40) Paul exhorts them to not focus on circumstances but to lean on Jesus. How? The best way to deal with adversity is to be prepared for it. The disciples were about to run into some harsh conditions. We learned in Mark Chap 9 that Jesus took them up to a high mountain to be alone with Him. This is the best time to be alone with Jesus, BEFORE ADVERSITY STRIKES. When you’re up on a high mountain, MAKE TIME alone with Jesus. Let nothing interrupt you. This doesn’t have to be a time that is planned. You might just find yourself alone at times. Take advantage of that time. Shut off the TV or radio. Put down the paper. Turn off the computer. Put down the Nintendo or X Box. Politely say Goodbye to your friend on the phone. Sit or kneel, and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to bring to mind those things that have come between you and Him. Then ask Him to usher you into the Holy of Holies. Maybe sing a worship chorus. When you run out of things to say, let Him speak to your heart of hearts. Just enjoy His presence. You will find strength and peace there.
