Retreating from the Crowds
This morning we had a great study of Luke 9:10. Yes, we just covered one verse in an hour, but we found a lot of truth in it for all of the men who were gathered. I really appreciated their help this morning, since I had a bad case of laryngitis. I was able to squeak, and they could fill in the rest.
The verse tells us what Jesus did with His disciples when the 12 came back from being sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal. He took them off to a deserted place. That is a very significant factor for at least two reason. They may have needed some rest, and they needed to process what they had learned in their trip. We still need to do both of these things regularly ourselves.
If we do not have proper rest, nutrition, and exercise for physical conditioning, we will not do as well mentally and spiritually as we should. The body and the mind are tied to the spirit. When one is weakened it effects the others. Any of us can become depressed and defeated just by not getting enough rest, and by not being in good physical shape. It is how God made us. Jesus knew they had been through a lot, and they needed to rest. They had some experiences that were stressful, because He had told them to shake off the dust when people would not receive them. They needed to come aside for some relaxation.
The main reason for the retreat from the crowds was to "process" what they had learned. They had been given authority and power to heal and to cast out demons. They learned by experience the power of God. As it is when we learn by hearing or by doing, we must take time to let it sink in. We must think about all that it means to us and to the Lord. We must allow it to become a part of our lives. Without that processing, we loose the truths. Think about all of the sermons and Bible studies you have heard. How many are gone, because you never took time to process what you learned? I am afraid that is true of most of them, because we are just too busy to take time for that. We think we will miss something important, but we won't if we ask the Lord what we need to learn and what we need to do with it. He will clearly show us, because He wants us to grow. Next time you learn a great truth from the Lord, stop, and consider it prayerfully in your quiet time with the Lord. Meditate on it. Let God plant it deep in your heart. Then, you will have it for the next time you need that understanding. It is very important for our spiritual development.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 1-3.
The verse tells us what Jesus did with His disciples when the 12 came back from being sent out to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal. He took them off to a deserted place. That is a very significant factor for at least two reason. They may have needed some rest, and they needed to process what they had learned in their trip. We still need to do both of these things regularly ourselves.
If we do not have proper rest, nutrition, and exercise for physical conditioning, we will not do as well mentally and spiritually as we should. The body and the mind are tied to the spirit. When one is weakened it effects the others. Any of us can become depressed and defeated just by not getting enough rest, and by not being in good physical shape. It is how God made us. Jesus knew they had been through a lot, and they needed to rest. They had some experiences that were stressful, because He had told them to shake off the dust when people would not receive them. They needed to come aside for some relaxation.
The main reason for the retreat from the crowds was to "process" what they had learned. They had been given authority and power to heal and to cast out demons. They learned by experience the power of God. As it is when we learn by hearing or by doing, we must take time to let it sink in. We must think about all that it means to us and to the Lord. We must allow it to become a part of our lives. Without that processing, we loose the truths. Think about all of the sermons and Bible studies you have heard. How many are gone, because you never took time to process what you learned? I am afraid that is true of most of them, because we are just too busy to take time for that. We think we will miss something important, but we won't if we ask the Lord what we need to learn and what we need to do with it. He will clearly show us, because He wants us to grow. Next time you learn a great truth from the Lord, stop, and consider it prayerfully in your quiet time with the Lord. Meditate on it. Let God plant it deep in your heart. Then, you will have it for the next time you need that understanding. It is very important for our spiritual development.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Kings 1-3.