Solitude

I love being around people but from time to time I really crave solitude. I love hanging out and playing with family and friends, I even enjoy working with people but I know how much I need to spend some time on my own. 

As I read John 6 the other day, it wasn't the amazing miracles that stood out to me but the way that Jesus took time on His own in-between. Jesus often got on His own to pray, to spend time with His Father. And indeed for all who recognise the Father, solitude isn't really solitude, but it is time separated to spend with Him. We are never really alone. 

As Jesus' example stood out and I felt the wonderful and familiar mix of God calling me out and my own desire, I knew I needed to take some time with Him. Soon the words of Psalm 23 came to mind and to my heart. These words again washed over me refreshing my spirit and restoring my soul. Wow!

I'm blessed to be part of a group of men who get together and chew over God's Word as we let His Spirit stir our minds and our hearts. This week we fed together on Psalm 23. What a blessing to consider His love and care of us. We shared stories of special times when God has called us out to solitude, times when God has redeemed the time from our routine to have special soul-restoring moments. It was easy to become overwhelmed with treasured memories, and for our appetite to be provoked.  

I remember a time when I was on holidays hear the bush. I felt kind of restless, getting fussy and irritated. Out of that a yearning developed and I began to feel such an impression to get outside and walk to a lookout. It didn't seem to be the right time because the weather was windy and rainy, but I recognised that it was His voice and I wen anyway. The view at the lookout did not overwhelm me, it was cold, the wind blustery, small rain drops stirred around my face. I didn't receive any great revelation or healing. But I felt His presence. I responded to His calling out and was rewarded with finding Him. 

Take time to recall some times when and places where you've enjoyed this kind of solitude. 

When is the next time? Where will it be?

It blows my mind to think that God is waiting and ready for that next opportunity. 

Forsaking all else

I seek You Lord
You are everything

I forsake
Comfort
Ease
Affirmation

I desire You

I abandon
Recognition
Promotion
Position

I yearn for You

I forget
Possessions
Ego
Ambition

I desire You.

Deeper

I recently had a very natural and supernatural experience. I learnt something about myself that I really want to change.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to go on a bushwalk with some boys from school. We had already hiked into the bush in the morning and now we were walking further to go as far as the river and back. It was a hot day, very late in Spring, and actually my birthday as I recall. As we got to the river some boys predictably wanted to get into the water.

I really wanted to jump in the water, to go for a proper swim, to swim around like a fish. So I offered to the other teacher that with a few strict boundaries to keep the boys to the shallows, that I would happily supervise from within the water. I hastily got ready and quickly stepped into the water.

Then I stopped. I felt content to stand ankle deep and watch the boys splashing around. The water was cool but not uncomfortable. The water was a little murky but that hadn’t stopped me before. I was satisfied at ankle-deep.

That night was one that I had been looking forward to. Not just because I knew that we would be eating at Outback Steakhouse for my birthday but also because it was the first night in a conference at my church. A conference time dedicated to the Holy Spirit and with Ps Lee Grady sharing.

Ps Lee preached a message titled, “How deep do you want to go?” based on the test from Ezekiel 47. He shared that this was a prophetic picture of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit around the earth. The text from Ezekiel describes water flowing as a river from the temple, and how he walked with a man who measured the water at intervals. At first it was ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep, and finally becoming an impassibly deep river.

Ps Lee skillfully and prophetically shared about the condition of the individual and the church in relation to these stages or depths. Of course greater depth reflected greater maturity and control of the Holy Spirit. Ps Lee challenged us to shake off the desire to just play in the water or to be comfortable half-way, rather to dive into the raging river where we couldn’t possibly keep our footing or trust in ourselves for control.

The message that God preached to my soul that evening reverberated in me. I have been so content to stay in the shallows of the Holy Spirit. At times my desire has been great but I have been very easily satisfied – due both to laziness and fear. I know that there is more, I know that there is another way to live, I know that He is calling me - graciously and patiently He still draws me in.

I have learnt that this satisfaction has been the greatest enemy of me truly living in all that God has promised – to live in His power, to burn away the rubbish in my life and prepare me to serve in a greater capacity.