Daily Devotion #9
Larry Trotter
Words
of Love
15 Yet the news about him spread
all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of
their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and
prayed. Luke 5:15-16 NIV
Overcoming the Barrier
Let’s put a
different spin on the idea of being alone and look at isolation from the more
positive perspective of solitude. Jesus was very busy. He followed his passion
for saving humankind with laser-like focus. His authoritative preaching and
compassionate healing were resonating with more and more people, which meant
crowds were forming and the demands on his time were increasing. He had just
preached to a huge crowd by the lake, recruited key members of his leadership team,
and healed a man with leprosy. As the crowds continued to press Jesus
recognized the need to decompress and slipped away for another mini-retreat. Interestingly,
the NIV uses “lonely places” where other translations use “wilderness.” The
idea is that he intentionally sought solitude for prayer time with his Father. The
people around us have a way of directing our paths. I remember going to New
Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and being on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve. It
was terrifying. Lynn and I were literally swept away with the crowd like a
swimmer in a rip current. Groups of people can redirect our life path in the
same way. In two verses prior to our passage Jesus told the man he had healed
not to tell anyone. He wasn’t using reverse psychology; he was attempting to
keep his mission on track. He didn’t come to be a rock star rabbi. He came to
renew creation through his death and resurrection. He took time away to stay
close to his Father to reset the trajectory of his ministry.
Isolation is
something that happens to us when we choose to live apart from others. Solitude
us something we choose to happen to us when we take a break from the crowds
that can become a barrier to God’s purposes for our life. Isolation narrows our
options. Solitude opens us to new possibilities. Moments of intentional
solitude can reset our life trajectory by listening for our Father and allowing
his guiding presence to order our steps. In the silence we realize the still
small voice is still there in a big way. Lest we confuse the two, isolation
happens when we let life separate us from others due to an inner conflict.
Solitude is a decision to temporarily separate from others to listen to the
inner voice of God.
Prayer
God of peace, nudge me when I should find a
quite place for some downtime with you, then send me back into my life on your
preferred path. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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