But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Luke 5:15-16
The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires training days. These days prepare us for the trail ahead. Let’s take a day to train together.
Jesus was in the throws of miraculous, effective ministry. Though the demand was great and growing, Jesus did the opposite of what we would think that a entrepreneurial church-starting Savior of the World would do: He hid.
This goes against the norm of this world that would advocate for maximum effort for a maximum amount of time in order to “get the ministry going.” Jesus wasn’t just hiding, however. He was touching base with His source of power, energy, direction, and purpose: God the Father. Furthermore, Jesus was willing to go to great lengths to set aside this valuable time: He chose desolate places.
How many of us value solitude and prayer enough to go to abandon our responsibilities, seek out uncomfortable places, and risk the pain of our own inner world long enough to be silent and pray? Surely Jesus had some difficult memories from being tempted in the wilderness (see Luke 4), yet He chose to meet in the wilderness to pray.
Today, let’s train together for the road ahead. Like Jesus, take some time to hide away and pray. Perhaps you have been running from the silence of your own soul, afraid of the pain that lurks beneath the surface. Perhaps you think that running away to pray goes too far against your belief that you have to do more for longer to succeed.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to train His way. Perhaps today God wants you to get ready for the next phase of life by hiding away with Him. Perhaps God wants you to go to great lengths to do so.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.
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