Take a moment each day to withdraw from the busyness of life
and spend time alone with God. Just you and your Savior, getting intimate with
each other. This is the spiritual discipline of solitude.
The 21st Century Christian
finds this notoriously difficult. He is constantly distracted by an immense
number of entertainments that gnaw at his consciousness. James 4:4-7 identifies
three major obstacles to getting closer to God: love for the ways of the world,
pride that makes us believe we don't need God, and the Devil who deceives us
into thinking God does not love us. Nothing can be further from the truth. God
longs to draw near to us. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will
draw near to you."
God's grace
allows us to see our sinfulness—wherever and whenever we aligned ourselves with
the values of the world. God's grace allows us to humble ourselves and ask God
for forgiveness. God's grace allows us to draw near to Him. God promised,
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your
heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). God knows your heart. If you sincerely long for
Him, you will have intimacy with Him. It takes grace.
Many times
in Jesus' earthly life He practiced solitude. He withdrew from the crowds to spend
time alone with God. He spent the very first hours of His day in prayer alone
with His Father (Mark 1:32-38). He directed His life according to His Father's
commands.
"In
the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will order my
prayer to You and eagerly watch" (Psalm 5:3). Susanna Wesley, mother of
more than ten children, found a creative way to find solitude of life. In the
midst of motherhood and housework, she retreats into the kitchen, pulls her
apron over head, and spends time with God! Knowing
God intimately is eternal life (John 17:3). In Hosea 6:6, it's as if God
intimates a secret Himself: "For I delight in loyalty rather than
sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea
rallies us in verse 3: "So let us know, let us press on to know the
LORD." Make intimacy with God your primary goal in life.
There are
many benefits to practising solitude. Any trial brings you closer to God and
becomes a blessing. And you recognize that any blessing that might draw you
farther away from God becomes a curse. In 1 Samuel 30, David faced a difficult
trial. He clung to God and found strength in Him. He found the strength to ask
God for directions, to carry them out, and to lead his band of soldiers to do
the same. "The people who know their God will display strength and take
action" (Daniel 11:32). People who know their God become strong because
they are dependent upon the Lord. Quiet time is not a luxury. It is their means
of survival.
Jesus says,
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with Me"
(Revelation 3:20). God longs to spend time with you. To sit down you, sip a
little wine, and talk about anything and everything about life. Will you let
Him in your heart?
