April 03, 2024
But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness ("deserted place") and pray. Luke 5:15-16)
Everything about Jesus's lifestyle should be studied and sacred to us. For He not only came to show us the Father but also to show us what a man, rightly related to the Father, must be and do.
Jesus was drawing crowds, which is explainable. But what is not explainable or normal for most men is his practice to "often slip away to the deserted place and pray." Most leaders of such fame would milk the crowd moments. He would tell us of his busyness and admit he had little time to get away. But not Jesus.
There were moments when he simply slipped through the watching crowd and retired. This was so common for him that we can rightly say it was the studied habit of his life.
WHY?
Why would Christ not squeeze the moments of his fame? Even his own brothers questioned him about this. But Jesus was not enamored by human recognition. His one desire was to do the will of the Father. And He knew He could not do God's will if He did not know God's will. He knew He would have no Divine energy without Divine connection.
If you know Him well, you have to believe that these moments and hours in God's presence were the most cherished of his life. He went to the wilderness because he loved His Father and longed for communion with Him. His unswerving devotion to prayer was borne out of His unadulterated love for His Father.
Every reason He had for seclusion should be our reason. The man always available and even seeking the limelight is not the One we should follow. “Pay no attention,” Tozer said, “to a man who pays no attention to God.” Follow the man who often slips away to pray. This man will have something from God to say when the crowds appear.
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