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April 8, 2024
- By Ed Powell
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"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Matthew 14:23
It is interesting to notice that after Jesus had fed the 5,000, He sent his disciples to the other side of the lake ahead of Him, and then He sent the multitudes away. Why? He was separating Himself from everything that would be a hindrance to the solitude He desired when He communed with the Father. Then, "He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone." Pressed and pursued at every turn, it was imperative for Jesus to have His time of rest and solitude with the Father, a time of being alone with God, being refreshed and renewed.
Someone has said, "There is no music in a rest, but there is the 'making' of music in it." In a musical score, you often will find a little symbol that is called a "rest." It indicates to the musician that he is to stop playing for the time indicated by that symbol. It is not a note to be played, but a silence to be observed. In its silence, it has various effects on the music being played. It could bring a striking crescendo into silence, and accentuate the dramatic effect. It could emphasize the melodious quietness of a peaceful melody, when everything stops and you drink in the solemn beauty of its restful tones. Such is the picture that David sought to portray when he wrote, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).
Can you imagine how much God would reveal of Himself if we were "alone" with Him? This is our privilege when He instructs us to "be still and know that I am God." It is there that we enter the secret place of His tabernacle. That is where David retreated, time and again. It was there that his strength was renewed, his courage made strong, his faith replenished, his vision made clear, his heart made pure, and his spirit fixed upon God in unwavering confidence! He "came apart" even as Jesus did, and communed with God! He has provided a refuge for us, the "secret privacy" of His presence. Oh that we would develop the lost art of meditation and the culture of being alone with God in the holy silence and beauty of His presence!
We find so many illustrations that portray this blessed place in the presence of God. Have you ever been overwhelmed by the awesome quietness and the majestic splendor of the Swiss Alps, or the serene beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, or the quiet stillness of a beautiful lake? Think of the grandeur and power of the ocean as its waves crash endlessly upon the white sands of the beach. All of these inviting scenes magnify the greatness of God, but they also portray the glory of being alone with Him in the secret of His presence. I never cease to stand in awe when I realize that God has provided that holy of holies for every believer, whereby we may enter into the very PRESENCE OF GOD! I cannot begin to comprehend how great a blessing this is for every believer! How much time are you spending in the secret privacy of His presence, all alone with God? He is waiting for you to come and commune with Him so that He may reveal Himself anew and afresh!
© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.
This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2024-04-08
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