By Reverend J. Loren Russell
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.”
Matthew 14:13,23 (NIV)
In the text, we see Jesus twice going to solitary places. He withdrew to have some quality time with the Lord. He was strategic in His timing;
He withdrew after He heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded.
Then He withdrew after feeding five thousand men, not counting the women and children.
It was either during great grief and sorrow, or after He performed a mighty work that Jesus retreated to make a little time for the Lord. The Bible says that He sent to a solitary place (to be alone) in the first instance and withdrew the second time to pray. In our frantic and busy society, solitude is a rare commodity. Yet, it is those solitary times and isolated places that we spend quality and intimate time with the Lord. However, to truly commune with the Lord, we have to know His voice, and the only way we get to know His voice is by taking time to become familiar with His word.
First, we must get to know the Logos, or the written word. Then, you get to know Him through the spoken, or Rhema word. The Rhema (spoken word) derives from the Logos (written word). When you know the Logos (written) word, whenever you hear the Rhema (preached) word, or see His miraculous works throughout nature, you will recognize its authenticity.
Jesus was strategic in His time with the Lord and we must likewise be strategic with our time. When we prioritize our schedules to spend quality time with the Lord, those quiet moments spent meditating and listening to His voice will bring great reward. Examples can be found in the text; John’s disciples came to Jesus and Peter walked on the water.
Elijah was another follower who came to understand how to wait for the voice of the Lord (1 King 19:1-12). He was running for his life from the wicked Jezebel. The Bible says that he retreated to a cave when a mighty wind arose, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a raging fire broke out, but the Lord was not in the fire. Then came a small, quiet voice.
That’s where the Lord is, in that small voice. In order to hear His voice, we may need to retreat to a solitary, quiet place. That’s where we make a little time for the Lord.
Be Blessed +++
Rev. J. Loren Russell is President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial Strategy & Consulting; an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx; creator/host of “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Monday’s 8:00 – 10:00 PM (626-226-1448) and author of Matters of Faith: The Book, an eBook available at Smashwords.com.
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