slip away to the wilderness
When we have the opportunity to slip away to the wilderness, we should take it to destress and rejuvenate. Our lives are crazy enough as it is, but to not take some to rejuvenate may make them even more crazier than it should be. Jesus’ example of getting away gives us a blueprint on how we can grow closer to God and find ourselves more content in our crazy world when we return.
Before the wilderness
But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 NASB1995
Let’s get a glimpse into a few days of the ministry of Jesus. After being tempted by Satan, Jesus began His public ministry. Luke writes of the places Jesus traveled to minister to the Jewish people.
- Luke 4:14-15 Returned to Galilee teaching in the synagogues
- Luke 4:16-30 Taught in the synagogue at Nazareth, thrown out of town
- Luke 4:33-37 Healed a demon-possessed man in Capernaum
- Luke 4:38-43 Healed the sick and demon-possessed at Simon’s mother-in-law’s home
- Luke 4:44 Taught in the synagogues of Judea
- Luke 5:1-11 Taught the multitude from the boat
- Luke 5:12-16 Healed a man from leprosy
The wilderness of peace
I’m tired from just reading what Jesus did in a few days. It’s not a surprise Jesus took some time to get away from the craziness of what His life consisted of. He just didn’t get away from it all, He also went to pray. For Jesus, it was a time to rest His body and a time to rejuvenate His spirit.
Sometimes it is good to find that time to slip away to the wilderness to pause. After being bombarded with all the world’s problems, Jesus found it necessary to come to a place where He could rejuvenate. The wilderness provided a sanctuary where He could rest and revive. Jesus even though He was God took on the form of man so that we could have an example of how we ought to live. If Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man, felt the necessity to frequently step away from the crowd, how much more should we.
The wilderness of prayer
Furthermore, Jesus did more than just separate from the world. He made it a point of communicating with God the Father. Now, we know Luke recorded several times in his gospel Jesus made prayer a priority. Prayer is an amazing medicine for a troubled soul. It anchors our spirit in the living God while the world tries to pull us in every way possible. It soothes our hearts when difficulties abound in our lives.
The routine of prayer may be one of the most beautiful and challenging all at the same time. Some prayers may be a few quick words on a busy day, some might be more thoughtful and planned out. Still, others may be a cry to God when encountering a sudden and incomprehensible diagnosis. And then there are moments when words just cannot be sufficient to describe the need or pain.
So many times prayer is an afterthought rather than a forethought. We should not consider our prayers as something to start and finish our day with, but rather an ongoing conversation with Father God throughout the day. I’m reminded of the verse in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church in 5:17, “pray without ceasing.” It succinctly describes how prayer should be done, always.
Jesus often spent time in the wilderness to pray. It’s not that Jesus didn’t pray elsewhere, He needed a place to be alone to commune with the Father. No distractions, no people, no politics, nothing but time with the Father. When Jesus returned from His wilderness time of prayer, He was ready to take on the world. If Jesus, the Son of God and Son of man, took time away from His mission for just a moment to regain His strength, determination, and energy, there is no reason why we can’t find those same results. The wilderness can be a place of rejuvenation.