In Bend, Oregon.
At TFAB.
It's a church--
I know...
Strange name.
But, great place,
And I know God wanted me there.
The talk was about
rest...
Finding times of solitude with God.
To hear from God.
And talk to God.
And be with God.
But what struck me most was that Jesus needed it too.
...And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed... (Mark 1:35).
At first I mind-debated.
Is that true?
That Jesus needed to get away?
From people and plans and productivity to be--
Quiet.
To find...
~ solitude ~
And talk with His Father?
But He did...
Fully God.
Fully man.
But He emptied Himself.
...made himself nothing...being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself... (Philippians 2: 7 & 8).
To know us.
To live--
Our temptations.
Our trials.
Our terrors.
Our torment.
To live my weakness and indecision and worry.
He too...
Needed God's direction.
Or He wouldn't have asked God to--
Let this cup pass...nevertheless...as you will (Matthew 26:39).
Or He wouldn't have paused for direction--
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray... (Luke 5:16).
I sat there on Sunday.
Thinking of
Us--
Mid-decisions
Big-decisions
On the horizon.
So thankful for His leading...
A Pause--
Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while (Mark 6:31).
Away from it all...
--from the people with needs (oh--how I want to meet needs).
--from the responsibility that calls (oh--how I want to hold responsible).
--from the mission that drives (oh--how I want to live on-mission).
Because if He needs it--
Jesus.
Then how much more do I...?
Need to run--
To Him.
To God.
Refill me so that I may be poured out.
To a silent place where all that matters is:
What is His will?
Because even Jesus....
Even Jesus
Needed to find the solitude.
Just Jesus and His Father....
Asking...what do I do next?
And that's really what I want...
I say "Lord willing".
And I mean that.
I want--
Lord willing.
And if the Father's Son...His only Son....
Needed quiet and rest and solitude--
Waiting on His Father's answer,
Then how much more
i
So small in my smallness...
Also need that quiet, alone time with--
Him.
I know He wanted me there.
To hear Him say--
Meet me.
In the--
Silence.
Because before I call, He will answer.
While I am yet speaking, He will hear (Isaiah 65:24).
In the--
Solitude.
If a man wants to be used by God, he cannot spend all of his time with people.
-A. W. Tozer
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