A SOLITARY PLACE

He had more than enough to fill his calendar but he did not let the demands on him dictate his schedule. Jesus knew what was important.

“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).

A solitary place. A lonely place. Away from the noise and the clutter of our everyday stuff. A place uninterrupted. 

A solitary place where I can have a time of conversation with my Savior. A quiet place where I can hear him remind me of the word he spoke to me that morning when I read his Bible. His word—the same word that brought beauty and order to the primeval chaos and darkness at creation—now bringing beauty and order to the dark corners of my heart and mind. 

Instead of just blabbing about all the things I want from my God his word gives me direction on how I pray. Different scriptures that he has been showing me become the focus of my prayers for my family and others. 

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians to intimately know the love of God that cannot be fully known (Ephesians 3:14-19) becomes my prayer for our children and their families. Peter’s admonition to the elders in 1 Peter 5:1-5 becomes my prayer for our elders in our church. Paul’s confident assurance of the grace of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:9) becomes my prayer for those I know struggling with various hardships in life.

A solitary place. Where I can be alone. Yet never alone. For that is the place where I get to spend sweet and precious time with the One who matters the most in my life, Jesus my Lord. 

I so treasure that time with the Lord Jesus that I silence my phone. Two hours away from the world will not stop the earth rotating on its axis and revolving around the sun. 

I so treasure that time with the Lord Jesus not because I am a good Christian. I treasure that time because I am a needy Christian. And I am learning that my needs will only be met by my Savior.
🙏🙏🙏