“At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’” (Luke 4:42-43 NIV84)

Just prior to these verses, Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law and spent the evening healing the sick and freeing the demon-possessed. It must have been an amazing night, to say the least. The next morning Jesus was up before everyone else at “a solitary place.” We know from other passages in scripture that He went there to pray and communicate with His heavenly Father. Oh how I wish that just a couple of these prayers were recorded. But today I would like to make a simple point. If it was necessary for Jesus to find solitary time to communicate with God the Father, how much more it must be a necessity for you and me. We live our lives at a pace that never stops. We rarely have time to breathe, let alone time to quietly pray, ponder, meditate and listen to God. But as I read this text I can’t help but feel convicted myself that somehow I am the one who has something wrong going on. I just have to fight for this essential time with God, and so do you. Just maybe, if we spent the necessary time with God, He might reveal to us how our lives could or should be less hectic and rushed.

One other thing. We should be comforted that Jesus left this town to go on to other towns because He “must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to other towns also.” He went on to say that “this is why I was sent.” You and I are believers in Jesus Christ today because Jesus faithfully fulfilled His calling. He was sent to bring the good news of the kingdom of God to the entire world. That good news has been shared from person to person for more than 2,000 years and now has touched your life and my life. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will share with others what Jesus has done for us and the spreading of the message will continue until Jesus returns to bring us home.

Today, find some time of solitude to pray and meditate on what God has done for you and what He might want from you, and then go out and do it!

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church