Preparation

Psalm 142; Matthew 14

Much like many of the other Psalms that I have looked at so far this one is filled with desperate and emotional prayer. David is again under siege and crying out to God to save him and to protect him. In Matthew 14 I see a number of stories that are often referred to as familiar stories. It consists of the stories of the beheading of John, the feeding of the five thousand, and Jesus walking on the water.

This would have been quite the day for Jesus. Although I am sure that most days fro Jesus could have been described as "quite the day." This day in particular Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been beheaded and he responds by going away to a solitary place. However, he is so famous by this point that the crowds find out where he is going and they meet him there. Although it would have been easy for Jesus to simply tell people that due to the death of a close friend he would not be available for teaching and miracles at this time. He does not react this way though. In fact he has compassion on the crowd and heals their sick. He has so much compassion for them that he not only heals them but he does not send them away when they start to get hungry. Instead, with faith in God, he feeds more than five thousand people with what at first was merely five loaves of bread and two fish. After everyone was full he sent them away and also sent his disciples away. Jesus wanted and needed to take time alone with his Father. It is something that I have seen Jesus do time and time again. He seems to withdraw just prior to demonstrating a great act of faith. Time alone with God is time of preparation. After Jesus spends time alone with his Father he walks across the water to join his disciples who are already out in the boat. Twice while he is walking on the water Jesus is described as calming and saving his disciples "immediately." Jesus knows that our faith in times of desperation requires immediate action. This is not the ideal but it is often the reality of the faith that we hold. Jesus lived his life as a demonstration and it is important to draw from the lessons that he lived out. There is great importance and great faith benefit that can come from deliberate intentional alone time with God.

I am reminded now as I reflect that the times when I have been closest with God are the times where I have set aside intentional alone time with him. As a matter of fact when I have done this on a regular basis I have found myself growing closer and closer with God. I have found myself becoming closer to being able to walk in step with Him. It is now becoming more apparent to me that alone time with God, on a regular basis, is not only beneficial but is indeed essential to the development of my faith. It is far too easy to just say hello to God in passing and it is very challenging to make it a regular occurrence that I meet with God. I am reminded of the promise of God found in the song "Commune with Me."

Commune with me

Commune with me

Between the wings of the cherubim

Commune with me

I'll meet you there

I'll meet you there

Between the wings of the cherubim

I'll meet you there

Today as I have been reflecting on Scripture I am committing to intentionally meeting with God. Just me and Him. Not just a fleeting hello but communing with him. Truly spending time with my God. So that I can be prepared to depend on my faith and to serve Him. And so that I can be in relationship with God and not merely be an acquaintance.

Dear God,

I desire you. I yearn for you. I want to be with you. I am desperate for you. I have seen the importance in truly spending time with you. I ask that you will draw me in. That you will exasperate all my excuses. I ask that when you prompt me to meet with you that you will give me no other alternative but to do so. I want to meet with you, I want to sit with you. I desire to commune with you. God a relationship is what I desire. Not some half-hearted hello in passing. I want a relationship with you and I want all the benefits and dangers that come with such a relationship. Please meet with me, teach me and grow me.

Amen