Be Still! Pursue Solitude with the LORD!
April 21, 2024
Scripture: Exodus 14:14; Psalm 46:10
Over the past 40 years, I have been amazed at the advancement of computers, cell phones, cars, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, and various other modern-day conveniences. Yet, there are times I wonder why I feel overloaded/tired despite the help of these modern-day items. And why is it if we have like ten times more conveniences than our ancestors, why are we not ten times more content and fulfilled?”
I have concluded that the basic reason is our lives have become overloaded-emotionally, physically, financially, and socially. One of the causes is an overloaded schedule. We try to cram too much into too few hours. We are reluctant to admit that we are not infinite. We do not have an inexhaustible source of energy. We simply do not understand or accept our limitations.
Jesus knew about limits. Jesus knew the limits of his disciples. After his disciples returned from their preaching mission he tried to take them away from the crowds; away from the busyness of life; away from all the activity of ministry to a quiet spot. He wanted them to experience some solitude, to be still, so that they could be refreshed.
Luke 5:16 states, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
What is being still or pursuing solitude with the Lord? It is drawing near to God. It is ceasing the frantic activity and coming into His presence. Henri Nouwen wrote, In solitude I have no friends to talk with, no phone calls or meetings, no TV to entertain, no music or books to occupy and distract my mind. Being still/pursuing solitude is to remove ourselves from other distractions. Christians often have called this practice “having a quiet time.”
Being still is taking time to be with the LORD. It might be 10 minutes, an hour, or for Martin Luther 5 hours a day.
To practice solitude we must withdraw from people. We must get alone with God and turn off the noise of the world to listen to God. Richard Foster in his book, Celebration of Discipline, states, “Without silence there is no solitude. The two are inseparable. For even when we do not fill our lives with people, we can fill our lives with noise. We have become addicted to noise. We want it all the time. We put the T.V. or radio on to “keep us company.”
In modern times we have every convenience to fill our ears and eyes with noise which serves to drown out God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We are so afraid of the silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order not to have to look at ourselves in the mirror.”
Often, we want to fill ourselves with any other form of escapism and medicate our pain, except with the Lord. Psalm 4:4, “Search your hearts and be silent. To experience the presence of God, we need to make a habit of spending time in silence and solitude. We all have a hectic lifestyle. The more hectic our lives are, the more essential it is that we make space for silence and solitude. Solitude takes discipline. It is not easy to do. Often our minds can wander. Yet, it is important to make time to be alone with the LORD.
Psalm 46:10 states, Be still, and know that I am God. Stillness is about calming our hearts before the Lord. It is allowing God’s peace into our lives, into the chaos and stress of our lives. When we do this, we say, “You are God, not me.”
Now solitude is different from being alone. We live in a society that craves companionship and even fears being alone. Richard Foster writes: Jesus calls us from loneliness to solitude. The fear of being left alone petrifies people. A new child in the neighborhood sobs to his mother, "No one ever plays with me." A college first-year student yearns for her high-school days when she was the center of attention. ' Now, I am a nobody.' Our fear of being alone drives us to noise and crowds. Yet, we can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. Solitude is not first a place but a state of mind and heart.
There is immense value in practicing the discipline of solitude. Dallas Willard makes the point that just as nutrients strengthen the core of the tree, solitude strengthens the soul.
What are some of the benefits of being still/pursuing solitude with the Lord?
The first reason we should be still/pursue solitude with the Lord is because He desires for us to deepen our relationship with Him.
Hebrews 10:19-22a states, Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God…
Dr. Dwight Pentecost from Dallas Theological Seminary was asked to speak at a church concerning Biblical prophecy concerning end times. He was to give five sermons on the subject. However, in the middle of the conference he decided to insert a sermon on “The Loveliness of Christ.” During his sermons about the end times, the place was full. However, for this sermon about the Loveliness of Christ the church was only half full. The following comment was made. “Shouldn’t we be more interested in him and his “loveliness” than in a detailed chronology of events?”
Jesus has left his palace, moved across town, lived in the slums, and has rescued us. Why? So that we might have a dynamic, personal relationship with the Creator, the I AM, the King of kings, the Lord of Lords! Surely, we can set aside time to be with him! Listen, His cultivating our relationship with the Lord is life changing!
Secondly, being still/pursuing solitude with the LORD helps us hear His voice.
When we spend time with the Lord, we get on the same frequency. In Luke 6:12, 13, One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. 13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.
I have found that stepping out of the busyness of the day helps me hear God’s voice better. John 10:27, says:"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” When I spend time alone with God, my relationship with the Lord becomes deeper.
Years ago, people used ice houses to preserve their food. Ice houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the ice houses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it but did not find it. His fellow workers also looked but could not find it. A small boy who heard about this and slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
"I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking." Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear.
Thirdly, being still/pursuing solitude with the Lord helps you to overcome as you deal with the stress, the temptations, the inner struggles of life.
Jesus sought out solitude before the big events in his life. Matthew 4:1-3, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Silence and solitude with God will help you resist the temptations of life. Jesus had spent time in study, prayer in solitude with His Father so when the Evil One came to tempt him. Jesus was able to resist by using God’s word.
As Jesus prepared for his death, Jesus sought the solitude of the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46).
Sadly, too many people turn to the things of this world instead of drawing near to the Lord.
A young man goes through a very painful breakup with his girlfriend. He genuinely wants to honor God and live a life of integrity, but he finds himself turning to pornography to numb the pain of his broken heart. A man experiences a great deal of stress. So when he gets home from work, he finds himself drinking to take the edge off the stress. Others might fill their emptiness with food, vegetate in front of the TV, or 101 other things.
Bill Wilson experienced the devasting effects of alcohol. He lost his job, his reputation, his family, and his freedom. His alcoholism landed him in jail. He hit rock bottom and helped form what we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous, with its famous 12-step program that has become a model for addiction treatment around the world. Bill W. admitted that he was powerless to manage his life (step one), and he came to believe that only a power greater than himself could restore his sanity (step two). He entrusted his life into the care of God (step three) and experienced a profound spiritual awakening. He began to follow Jesus and got involved in a small fellowship of Christians called the Oxford Group, which was diligently studying the wisdom of Jesus. As a result of Bill W. studying the practices of Jesus with this group, he formulated the 12-step program and Alcoholics Anonymous—and found freedom. Today we will look at step 11 in those 12 steps: "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God."
One of the ways we entrust our lives to the care of God—and experience freedom from what we are addicted to or over-attached to—is by improving our conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation. Step 11 suggests that the call to prayer is a process where we seek to cultivate our conscious contact with God through both prayer and meditation, where the emphasis is on pursuing God's presence.
Being still before God makes us whole and sets us free. Sitting silently in the presence of God, as useless as that may seem on the surface, can help set us free from the things we are addicted to or over-attached to.
Being still/pursuing solitude will strengthen you in knowing God’s amazing love and producing a Christ-like character.
Hebrews 10:19-22…
Paul writes Ephesians 3:14-19, I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
When you are alone with God you are reminded that you are loved for who you are, not by what you have done. We live in a world that measures self worth by how much a person accomplishes; how many projects they have completed; how many programs they have started; how much money they have raised; how much they have increased profits. When we are alone with the Lord, He reminds us that He loves. We learn that he is in control and that all things work for good for those who love him.
He loves you and works for your good in all things so that you will grow to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:28, 29). God’s goal for each of us is to build a Christ-like character. Remember, we need his strength to overcome. We cannot do it on our own.
Two men began arguing about who was the better woodsman. One challenged the other to contest strength and skill. They agreed to an all-day wood chopping contest. Their duel began early in the morning. With the first swing of the ax, wood chips began flying. The challenger attacked the logs with passion. All morning long, he swung his ax, taking only a brief lunch break. Throughout the afternoon the intensity of his work never diminished. At the end of the day they measured the stack of wood. The challenger was surprised to discover that the other man's stack was higher than his own was. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did." "But you didn't notice," said the other woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."
Time alone with God in solitude is the most fundamental exercise in the spiritual life. It strengthens our inner spirit. It is time to sharpen our ax.
Another important reason for being still/pursuing solitude with the Lord is because it helps or prevents the discouragement, the stress, and overload of life. We find rest.
Daily demands can drain us. There are times we all need to seek silence and solitude to help us recharge our batteries for the challenges that may lie right around the corner.
In Matthew 14 we read that John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. Jesus hears this news about John the Baptist and verse 13 says, When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Jesus found rest in the Lord after a friend was martyred.
It is difficult to be a faithful disciple, to grow, mature, and become all God intended for you to be, when you are bogged down with the discouragement or the worries of life.
One day the legendary Greek storyteller Aesop was seen playing childish games with some little boys. A man approached Aesop and asked him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity. Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies." The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." We are very much like the bow. If we do not take time to rest, we will snap.
Sixth, being still/pursuing solitude with the Lord will also increase sensitivity and compassion for others.
Thomas Merton once said, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can genuinely love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them… solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.”
And why is this true? Because in solitude we find God and He fills us with His love and compassion and His Spirit, and it affects our outward life. This is why Jesus retreated by Himself so much, He was filling Himself back up with God’s love and power and glory so that He could again love people He encountered.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writes in Life Together, “You cannot be with people in a right way without being alone. And of course, you cannot be alone unless you have learned to be with people. Solitude teaches us to live in the presence of God so that we can be with people in a way that helps them and does not manipulate them.”
God calls us to step away from the crowd and get alone with him so that he can penetrate the deepest levels of our stress, our fatigue, our pain, our being.
God wants to bring healing and transformation to our lives. You may understand that being still/pursuing solitude with the Lord is important, even necessary, but how do you go about having one? Hebrews 10:22, 23 gives two important principles.
Hebrews 10:22 notes we are to draw near to God with a sincere heart. There must be a sincere desire to draw near to Him. Psalm 63:1 states, You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you. So, prepare your heart by being still before him and letting the quietness clear away the thoughts of the world. Listen to the prophet Habakkuk: “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).
Here is another critical principle of how to be still/pursue solitude with the Lord: Have faith! Hebrews 10:22, 23 Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
We need to be fully assured in our faith, hold unswervingly to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus!
In many ways, it all comes down to one important question: Do you believe God is in control? Do you trust Him?
We are called to act in faith. Faith is belief in action. The act of waiting in silence takes faith. To seek God in solitude takes faith.
Let me close with this story from Mark 4. It was an extremely busy day where Jesus was healing people, casting out demons and speaking. While the scripture does not say this, the picture is painted that Jesus was exhausted and overwhelmed. He requested a boat to escape the crowds that were coming to him.
On the journey, a huge storm rolled in. The disciples were afraid for their lives. They looked for Jesus to help them and found him fast asleep from exhaustion. They were terrified because of the storm and woke Jesus up. They said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Verses 39, 40 states, He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
In our troublesome, stormy world, we need to have faith! We need to live by faith. We need to trust in the Lord. We cannot let the issues of life overwhelm us. We cannot allow fear to steal our peace and joy. We cannot allow negative thoughts to detour us. We must learn to tell our fearful and anxious thoughts to be quiet and to be still before the Lord. This is going to take faith/trust in God.
Circumstances change, seasons change, storms occur, life is full of stress, the key is to hold on to your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Be still and know He never changes. He is faithful. He is in control. He is good all the time! Cease striving, be still, pursue solitude and know that HE IS GOD!
