" . . . and he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place. . . . " Luke 9:10
Throughout Jesus' ministry we find periods when He took time out for meditation and prayer and silent communion with the Father. In this He set us an example. The quiet hours spent before the Lord are the filling stations of grace which prepare us for the emergencies and difficulties of life.
We have heard of one man, with more than his share of difficulties, who regularly finds blessed relief by locking himself in his room, away from his family and the telephone, that he may there have quiet, sweet communion with Heaven. He feels that it is necessary to first get his body and mind into a proper attitude, so he lies down on a couch until his muscles are completely relaxed and his mental tension begins to subside. Then, after prayer and some Bible study, he picks up the old book of gospel hymns, which he always has handy, and reads the comforting lyrics until the blessing of it all stirs his soul to joy and singing. By the time their messages of faith and hope are absorbed, he says his troubles no longer seem insurmountable. The mountains of difficulty are laid low and the "rough places" are made "plain."
Henry Martin, the great preacher, once confessed, "Want of private devotional reading and shortness of prayer, through incessant sermon making, has produced much strangeness between God and my soul." If a preacher preparing sermons must make such a confession, how much more should those of us who let the things of this world keep us from quiet communion with the Saviour?
How long since you have sought out a quiet spot and had a "little talk" with Jesus?
"Bread For Each Day"
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