Day 3 titled, “Lonely Place,” makes a nice twist on the idea of going somewhere to be lonely. The Bible often speaks about how Jesus would go off by Himself to a place where He could be alone, and fully focused on the Father. The authors say, “Perhaps it was in the lonely place where He received the bulk of His instruction. Perhaps many of His prayers were similar to those of David’s. No doubt, it was in the lonely place where Jesus could find rest and be fully known, even the night He sweat drops of blood while pleading for God to spare Him from His impending suffering. And God chose to rescue us instead.” (p21) Like Jesus here, we might not get the answer we were looking for, but we can be sure it is the best scenario for everyone involved. But going to this lonely place connects us so deeply with God that it makes our lives so much more fulfilling.
What I love about this concept is how vital it has been, in my walk with Christ, to make sure I make the time to sit in a lonely place with God. This time of uninterrupted interaction with Him has been the time when I have learned so much, and gained the strength to continue growing and moving forward in my journey with Him. Nothing should be more precious to a child of God who truly desires to grow in His Love and Grace than to make the time to sit with Him. The best place to start, of course, is with the Bible. As you read God’s Word, learn to “listen” for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to what you could glean that particular day in that particular Scripture. Then have an open and real conversation with God about what those verses mean in your life. How you can apply them. How they can bring Him Glory through your life. Make the effort to listen for His Voice because God is speaking to each of us.
As I have said before, the way God communicate with us differs because we are each different human beings. It is like when parents have multiple children. Just like they should not interact with all of them the same exact way; God does not speak to all of His children in the same manner either. What we need to do is make the time to learn the way we can “hear” from God. For me, I can sense His Voice within me as I sit at my computer and simply begin a conversation. Some may look at a painting and have a message downloaded into their heart. For others, it might be music, especially Christian songs. I mean, even Jesus scribbled in the sand to get a message from God, right?
God is speaking to us, but usually only in the lonely places because we have to quiet down the rest of our busy and noisy lives to focus on Him. When we make this a habit, we will be amazed at how much our lives will improve, because we will simply know what we need to know and when we need to know it. We will be filled with peace and joy and contentment. We will be aligned with God so that all His goodness will flow from Him to us then through us. This is how we were meant to live, in communication with God. While we should be praying without ceasing, we definitely need to make the time for this quiet time too. And I hope you noticed I said several times to MAKE the time! Time is our most valuable asset because we do not know how much we have…what better use for this precious blessing can we possibly find?!
Go spend some time with God in a lonely place! Then enjoy your Sunday and I will see you tomorrow…
2023’s Got A Minute? Book Club
January: The First & Best Book Ever: The Bible
February: Love Is In the Air: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman
March: Spring Growth: “Secrets of the Vine” by Bruce Wilkinson
April: Living the Resurrected Life: “The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life” by Dr Charles Stanley
May: My Spiritual Mom: “Making Good Habits Breaking Bad Habits” by Joyce Meyer
June: Spiritual Dad: “It’s Not About Me- Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy” by Max Lucado
July: Financial Freedom “Complete Guide to Money” by Dave Ramsey
August: Summer’s Soul Restorer “A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23” by W Phillip Keller
September: Covering Our Children: “Prayers for the Prodigals” by James Banks
October: Reformation of Our Hearts: “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine” by Max Lucado
November: So Thankful To Be Chosen: “The Chosen 40 Days with Jesus Book One, Book Two & Book Three” by Amanda Jenkins, Kristen Hendricks and Dallas Jenkins
<>< Peace, Diane
