Devotions
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SOLITUDE WITH JESUS, HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW HIM?
Luke 10:22 ….no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Have you ever brought the question to mind regarding just how well you know Jesus? Jesus knew that for Him the times of complete solitude and silence were paramount to His drawing close to God. Each of us, regardless if you are a ministry leader, pastor, caregiver or just you, we must have that same desire and priority to find our place of solitude and silence with Jesus. Luke 5:16 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. I’m not speaking of the occasional passing prayer, or the thoughts and communication with Jesus as you’re driving down the road, or when you take a second here and there. Like for instance, do you find your cell phone gets more time and attention than you give Christ? OUCH! When you interrogate the scriptures, you will find it was a priority with Jesus, everywhere in the Gospels. It was the beginning of His ministry and progressed to His preparation for death on the cross. Even Mark urges us to slow down our way of life to be unhurried, wherein we can feel the peace of Jesus, hear God’s voice above the chaos of day-to-day sound of busyness, phones, computers, television and the rest of life noise that drowns out what God wants us to experience through His grace and wisdom as we grow in a deeper relationship with Him. But this can only be accomplished as we approach the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through solitude and silence to develop a greater intimacy with Jesus so we can experience His peace and power in all we do. John 15:1-16 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. When was the last time you took a WHOLE day, to “rest in God’s presence”? At first it may not be easy, for when we do our mind begins to go speeding through the things we could/should be doing, reviewing our mental to-do-list, and then our mind begins patching and piecing it all together. Stop, re-focus on the one thing that must be number one on our list; JESUS. Matthew 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Focus your cares and concerns on the Lord, BE STILL and KNOW that I am God (Psalm 46:10) I encourage and pray for you to be purposeful in taking a full day, stepping aside from all busyness of life and ministry, get alone somewhere (you find your wilderness) and be alone with Jesus for rest, reflection and renewal. God Bless You Respectfully yours in Christ, Rev. Jerry Schmid
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AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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