Away from It All

"So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat... So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." (Luke 5: 1-3, 16)

In the midst of it all- the job, the bills, the friends, social gatherings, church, keeping up the home, driving here, driving there, needing this, needing that, there comes a time when you just need to get away from it all and separate yourself unto Jesus to that quiet place where all the distractions and all the demands disappear.  Even if its for a short while, it makes a big difference in our lives.  I'm not talking simply about prayer, but I'm talking about reserving a chunk of time where there are no time limits and you're not accessible to anyone else except Jesus Christ. I'm talking about going to a place where your human spirit can be quieted and your heart can be more in tune with God's voice.  For some, this might mean that you take a half day retreat at a local Starbucks to study the Word or taking a whole day where you lock yourself in your room and just take in His presence.   Jesus did exactly this.  One particular day, he was busy ministering to the masses when he had an idea.  He was near the shoreline of a lake when he got a on a boat and had the boat moved a little ways from the shore.  From the boat, he spoke to the people.  In my mind, I imagine he just needed a little "space."  Imagine people always pressed up against him and needing something from Him.  Although I'm sure that He didn't mind it, most likely, He became tired and drained at times.  Sometimes, we just need a little space or a little time to call our own.  It doesn't mean that we don't love people or that we don't need anyone or even that we are neglectful of our duties, but it just means that we need some alone time- just us and Jesus. A couple of verses later, we read that Jesus healed a man from leprosy and when everyone heard about it, many came to him to be healed.  It's right after that when we read that Jesus went alone into into the wilderness to pray. Again, we see Jesus separating himself from the "stuff" of life to refresh himself spiritually and be alone with God. If Jesus needed time alone, then we need it too.  I know that for some, like myself, it's a bit easier to find this alone time, but it's something that we all need.  If at all possible, arrange your schedule in advance (kind of like a date) to block time than usual to be with the King of Kings.  Doing so will make you that much more ready to minister to people and truly impact this world the way Christ calls us to do. Let this song encourage you as you make time away from it all to be with the King of Kings.