The world is quiet here. —Lemony Snicket, The Slippery Slope
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)
We aren’t asking, “What would Jesus do?” but “What will Jesus do—in us and through us?”
Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever…
And He indwells believers at the moment of conversion…
Then as we surrender to Him, He lives His life in us and through us.
Thus, His life in us today will look like His life on earth back then.
Therefore, those same internal promptings that led Jesus into the wilderness for some alone time will occur in us, too.
When we read the Gospels, it’s like an internal clock that chimed in Jesus as He served and met the needs around Him. When that clock chimed, Jesus was off for some time with the Father.
The word Luke uses for withdrew means to sneak off—to slip away secretly.
Listen, our lives are loud. We have families and schedules, meetings, and deadlines. It isn’t easy to sneak off. If we’re honest, God’s invitation to withdraw and spend time together isn’t always heard over the noise.
We need some wilderness places in our lives. I’ve been to the Holy Lands and have seen where Jesus withdrew. These places are barren. You can hear lizards scamper and birds sing, but you don’t hear people.
Jesus, I am going to sit right here for a moment and envision what a day away with You looks like. Where would I go to get away from all the noise and demands so I can spend time with You? I want to make plans to meet You at this place—please make it happen! Amen.
Learn more from Pete’s teaching series on Luke, What Will Jesus Do?