A dry, desert moment or season in life doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? Spending time in an uncultivated, solitary place, lacking life, water & people can feel like punishment until we remember what it does provide:
Freedom from disturbance.
Jesus found the desert life not only to be appealing, but absolutely essential! Luke 5:16 tells us that He OFTEN withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. With the throngs of people following Him from morning until night, it was necessary even for the Son of God to make room not just for the urgent, but the most important: time to recharge his batteries with His Father.
The word withdraw comes from two Greek words & they are worth unpacking!
👉🏽hupo properly means to bring under authority; someone working directly as a subordinate
👉🏽chóreó & means to make room; to create space by going to a place to receive understanding or revelation
Think about this! If Jesus, the SON of God, made room for His Father by going to the desolate desert, how much more do we need the same?!
It is in those quiet, unpopulated, unwanted barren moments where we experience the richness of God’s Presence & provision!
The limiting scene of a desert-like surrounding provides fertile ground for our limitless Lord to reveal Himself!
The pace of our lives in the culture that we love is not conducive to creating space for Him. But remember this: if Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer, so must we!
My song for 2022 is called, “Make Room” by Jonathan McReynolds. The lyrics begin with,
I find space for what I treasure
And I make time for what I want
I choose my priorities and
Jesus, You're my number one
So I will make room for You
I will prepare for two…
Making “room for two” is easy when we realize our need of Him! As Savior & Lord over my life, I can only fully “come under His authority” by making a space & place for Him to speak!
Father, we take time today to enter into the great exchange with You! Lead us to a space free from disturbance that gives us a quiet place to hear You & exchange our will & our way for THE Way! We are willing to enter a desert moment so we may experience the richness of Your Presence & provision!
NUMBERS 33:40-35:34
LUKE 5:12-28
PSALM 65:1-13
PROVERBS 11:23
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