Tom Barnard

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him

and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

(Luke 5:15, 16)

“Solitude is a periodic necessity—even for family members who are together 24/7.

Find a time and a place to unplug and disconnect, so you can reconnect with God.”

David Jeremiah, Turning Points (Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2005, p. 114)

If Christ is God, as the Apostle John described him in John 1:1-5, why did the Lord feel it was necessary to withdraw to lonely places and pray? If Christ is the architect of the universe, and if eternal life is in Him, why did he seek solitude from the crowds? Was there a flaw in his personality? If he knew the end from the beginning, what was lacking in his life that needed a periodic re-supply? I believe Dr. Jeremiah is correct.

Jesus had to “unplug and disconnect” from the world, so he could “reconnect with God.” 

Do you remember the three temptations of Jesus in the wilderness? In the first one, Satan said to him, “If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.” Was Jesus hungry? Yes. He had fasted for forty days and nights. Was he the Son of God? Yes. Did he have the power within him to turn the stones into bread? Absolutely. Then why didn’t he? The question was not about his needs being met. The question was about obeying the Father. And how was Jesus to know the will of the Father? By spending time with Him. And how can we do this? By being alone with God and to hear his voice.

Lord, teach me how to become quiet before you. Open the way for me to step aside from my daily responsibilities to speak to you and to hear you speak to me. Help me to say “no” to the voices that demand my attention so that I can be attentive to your voice. Let me experience the joy of solitude. I pray this in the Name of the One who set an example for me to follow. Amen.