Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Mark 1:35
A typical day in the ministry of Jesus! He taught and expelled a demon in the synagogue. He spent the lunch hour healing Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. In the evening He was mobbed by townspeople who came to the door with the sick and demon-possessed.
Exhausted by the day’s labors, does He sleep late the next day and eat a leisurely breakfast? On the contrary, Jesus gets up in the predawn darkness and goes to a solitary place for prayer. As true man He needs refreshment and finds it in a devotional communion with the heavenly Father. Immediately the demands of the next day’s ministry crowd in on Him. Everyone is looking for Him. Refreshed, He continues His preaching throughout Galilee.
What kind of typical days do you have? Hectic demands from family and co-workers. Hurried banking and shopping for supper. Endless trips to piano lessons and dental appointments. The telephone ringing off the hook. Evening meetings. Another similar day to dread. Do you need refreshment?
Many say, “With my impossible schedule I don’t have time for a daily devotional period with God. I know I need it, but I can’t work it out.” Jesus needed the refreshment of prayer precisely because the demands of His ministry were so great. In obedience He steadily moved to the cross, where He died for our sins, including our devotional failures. He makes available His Word and also other Christians to encourage us in our devotional life.
Picture that quiet time – early morning, midday, or late at night – a few moments alone in the presence of a loving, strengthening God, an oasis for refreshment, a new surge of energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day, direction and guidance for loving ministry to others.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, refresh me with Your Word and support me in my daily devotional time with You. Amen.
(Devotions from “My Daily Devotion” by Dr. Stephen J. Carter, copyright 1988, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Job 30-31 Matthew 13:31-58
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