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Staying Connected to God in the Busy
Andrea Lende • June 15, 2021
Luke 5:15-16
Staying Connected to God in the Busy
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Staying-Connected-to-God-in-the-Busy-e12r7sl
Luke 5:15-16
“But so much the more the news spread abroad concerning Him, and great crowds kept coming together to hear [Him] and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.”
“But He Himself withdrew [in retirement] to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.”
The news about Jesus’ ability to heal every illness spread throughout land.
Jesus became a highly sought-after celebrity of sorts.
As His fame increased, His alone time decreased.
And while people today would relish being in the limelight, Jesus did something different.
He withdrew from the people and took time to rest and pray.
I thought about my own life and the things I give up when I get busy.
I tend to give up quiet time with God, workout time, and rest.
But Jesus knew what He needed to do to care for Himself and ultimately others.
He knew alone time with God was required to operate in the kind of power He needed to operate in.
And He knew how to keep His appointment with His Father.
He also knew the necessity of rest.
Our verse says, “He
withdrew [in retirement].”
Our bodies and spirits require all these things too.
It is interesting how our present-day world tells us it’s ok to be busy.
In fact, it’s almost honorable.
We compare our busy with one another and even compete to see who is the busiest.
But what is the cost of a busy lifestyle?
Our relationship with God often suffers.
Our relationship with our families and loved ones suffer.
And our physical and emotional health suffers as well.
So, how can we define busy differently and start to change our busy patterns?
First, we can look at Jesus’ example.
He took time out from the busy.
He went into the wilderness and prayed.
Inarguably, Jesus had the most important job as He literally had to save the world in just three years.
Yet through it all He remained kind, soft-hearted, compassionate, and loving.
He cared for people’s needs.
And He did this even amongst the resistance of societal leaders.
So, even though His life was full, His mission was great, and His enemies were always close at hand, He took time out.
His actions speak loudly in the few short words of our verses today.
Today I choose to add rest and prayer to my schedule, so I have an opportunity to recharge and reconnect with the Lord which my body and spirit greatly needs.
May you find that rest and prayer will rejuvenate your body and soul this day.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for continuing to show me how to better live my life. Thank You for sending Your Son to model my life after. Thank You for showing me the importance of rest and prayer. Help me take time for rest even when there seems to be so much that needs doing. Help me take time to spend in Your presence, so You can restore whatever my spirit is lacking. Thank You for the beautiful moments we spend together, Father. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and peace. Help me offer these things to others as You so freely offer them to me. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you and will give you rest and make you whole.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and merciful Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.