Isolation or Solitude
Surviving COVID-19 amid the demanding diversions of distractions
The Gospel is not about man searching for GOD,
But GOD reaching out to mankind!
One lesson we have learned from
COVID 19 is how the demanding diversions of distractions previously filled our
lives. We allowed ourselves to be consumed with social media, television, and
internet surfing in the vain hope to avoid boredom. Often our diversions are rooted
in the fear of solitude. By avoiding solitude we fool ourselves in the false
hope of happiness. However, we are missing out on opportunities for deeper
communion with GOD. Solitude is a trusted
friend beckoning us to consciously pull away from everything else in our lives,
including the company of other people, for the purpose of giving our Full, and Undivided attention to GOD.
When you think of prayer warriors
in the Bible whose name comes to mind? Most Christians call the names of Moses,
Elijah, David, and the Apostle Paul. Few
call the name of JESUS as a prayer warrior. The
Gospels frequently mention how JESUS
“went off to a solitary place, where he prayed”
(Mark 1:35). In Luke 6:12 JESUS
“went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night
praying to GOD.”
Throughout his life, Moses would
often withdraw from the crowd to be alone with GOD,
often for extended periods of time seeking strength, peace, and quality time. In Deuteronomy
9:18, Moses reminds the Children of Israel how practicing solitude and fasting
“before the LORD for forty days and forty nights” on their behalf provided
strength and guidance. Such passages can make us uncomfortable, and despairing
of our own lack of discipline: Consider how Moses could spend 40 days in
solitude, and often we struggle to spend 40 minutes alone with GOD! But there is a secrete place full of GRACE always
to be found; and with effort and commitment, we will discover True JOY in
the in the GRACE of solitude.
Silence is not uncertainty compassed in Solitude. Rather Solitude united with silence will always reveal answers
False Impression about Solitude
Silence and solitude are complementary
disciplines supporting communion with GOD. While silence almost always requires
solitude, solitude does not necessarily require silence. We can apply our time
of solitude for prayer, verbal meditation on Scripture, singing psalms or hymns
of praise, and testimony to GOD recalling HIS faithfulness. Solitude doesn’t
require either silence or a hushed solemnity.
It is Time to Commit
Ourselves to become More Intentional
To Spend Time with GOD
Our
lives tend to be filled with people and events, making it unlikely we withdraw
into solitude.
1.
Solitude requires planning
Being
alone with GOD requires planning. Choose a place where you can be intimate with
GOD and free from distractions. This “prayer closet” doesn’t need to be
special, it just needs to be a place where you can remove yourself from the
world for as much time as needed.
2.
Solitude requires time
On
most days the best we can do is to just get away alone for a few minutes, or
even an hour. We should cherish these times, and guard them carefully. Yet
while these solitary moments are necessary, they’re hardly sufficient to meet
our need for closeness with our LORD. Commit to finding creative
ways to be alone with GOD for extended periods of solitude, ranging from a few
hours to a few days.
3. Solitude requires commitment
Consider
how our very lives are the result of previous commitments. Yes, we awoke this
morning as a result of what we spent yesterday accomplishing:
Ø If you are a good parent,
it is because you committed time to Family.
Ø If you are a good
physician, it is because you committed time to study medicine.
Ø In order to be
successful, you must commit time to accomplish your goal.
1. Solitude amplifies other obligations
We can carry out almost every other obligation in the
company of others. We can work, pray, reflect and worship almost anytime and in
any place. Fulfilling each obligation in the context of solitude enables us to
achieve greater focus equipping and enhancing our efforts.
2. Solitude is not about being alone
Typically when we use the term solitude, we are referring
to the state of being alone. But solitude also has the meaning of “absence
of human activity.” The
purpose is not to be alone, but to experience the absence of human activity in
exhortation and praise enhancing our experience in the presence of GOD
our Loving Father.
3. Solitude reveals hidden idols
While we might tell ourselves we prefer GOD’s company to any person or thing in the world. Solitude is the Christian’s litmus test. By being alone with GOD we obtain a clearer view of the idols consoled in our hearts, and we are presented with an opportunity to repent and relinquish everything we falsely placed before GOD.
Let’s take a closer look at those
Bible Prayer
Warriors:
Moses:There
is no patriarch in the Bible who communicated with GOD
so directly either in the middle of the desert, or the burning bush or in the
mountain top it was direct communication with the LORD
in Solitude.
Elijah: Elijah prays and it does not rain for three one half years,
then he prays and the rain returns (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). Elijah prayed and
God raises the widow’s son from the dead. Elijah prays and wins the showdown
against the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel; he called down fire from heaven;
and GOD struck down 450 false prophets.
David:We have
seen David’s boldness as he fought Goliath, but David was not fearless. There
are many instances in the Psalms where David admits his fears.David’s
fame would project him above other men. Yet, his spirit was uncomplicated
toward the LORD. David was unassuming
holding the shepherd’s staff, the warrior’s sword, the poet’s harp, and the
ruler’s scepter completely transparent before the LORD.
Apostle Paul: It is
important to know what Paul prayed, as to how frequently and earnestly
he did so. Intercession is spiritual work. Our confidence in it will depend
much on our knowledge we ask according to the will of GOD.Consider two prayers in
Ephesians, the one for light (Ephesians 1:18), the other for strength
(Ephesians 1:19). Paul prays for the Spirit of wisdom to enlighten them to know
what their calling was, what their inheritance is, and what the mighty power of
GOD was accomplishing in them. Spiritual
enlightenment and knowledge was their great need, to be obtained for them by
prayer.
Maybe, just maybe GOD intended the blessing of solitude to
be a refuge where we truly gain strength for the road ahead. The solitude of a
wilderness provided Moses' strength to lead the children of Israel. The solitude
of peace allowed Elijah the strength to fight 450 profits of Baal. The solitude
of time alone provided quality time for David to write the Psalms providing
strength David, for you, for me, and those who come after us. The solitude of a
prison would provide the Apostle Paul quality time to write thirteen of the twenty
seven books of the New Testaments providing light, and strength for the Body of Christ.
What will GOD
do in your Life in times of solitude?
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