When We Are Silent, Part Three: Jesus Models Solitude

Just in case you were wondering if there were any Biblical examples of solitude…here they are. You knew I wouldn’t leave you hangin’, right?

These are just a few examples of times when Jesus pulled away from other people in order to be alone with His Heavenly Father. Notice the variety of situations that provoked Him to solitude.

Matthew 4:1-11: Jesus inaugurated His ministry by spending forty days alone in the desert.

Luke 6:12: Before He chose the twelve disciples, He spent the entire night alone in the desert hills.

Matthew 14:13: Upon hearing of John the Baptists’ beheading, he withdrew and found a place alone on a boat.

Matthew 14:23: After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus went up into the hills by himself.

Mark 1:35: After a long night of work, He got up in the middle of the night and went to be alone.

Mark 6:31: When the twelve apostles returned from a preaching and healing mission, Jesus instructed them to find a place to be alone.

Luke 5:16: Following the healing of a leper, Jesus withdrew to the wilderness.

Matthew 17:1-9: With three of His disciples, He sought out the silence of a lonely mountain as the stage for the transfiguration.

Matthew 26:36-46: And as He prepared for His highest and most holy work, Jesus sought out solitude in the Garden of Gethsemane.*

In this face-paced, high-stressed, over-stimulated life of ours, it has never been more difficult–and yet, more VITAL–for us to find regular moments of solitude. You may never get a block of forty days or four-and-a-half months to spend in God’s presence. But all of us are awarded the same one thousand four hundred and forty-four minutes each and every day. Surely, we can set aside a few of those precious minutes to sit alone in silence before the Throne of God.

You may be surprised at what God says to you there.

Not sure where to start? Check back next time for a few suggestions on putting this discipline to work in your life.

Oh, and I just created a button so you can put God Speaks Today on your blog! See the sidebar for the code. And just to give credit where credit is due, I learned to create the button on this site . Very easy!!!

*The summary of these verses was adapted from Celebration of Discipline, by Richard J. Foster, which is also this week’s book recommendation.