COME ASIDE BY OURSELF

My attention was drawn to Mark 6:31 NKJV recently And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” The MESSAGE Bible says Come, let’s take a break and find a secluded place where you can rest a while.”

I unashamedly am going to take this verse out of context and tell you what I felt the Lord drop in my heart. There are many glorious promises in the Word of God like Matt. 11:28-30 NKJV Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Sadly, I think we need to be reminded often that we need to draw aside to a “secluded place” and simply rest in the Lord’s presence, and experience His refreshing. It is so easy to get so busy working and serving the Lord, that we can even run on “auto pilot” and go through all the motions, and say we are “to busy to pray”.

The statement that spoke to me in this verse is “Come aside by yourselves” in other words do not bring other people with you, do not bring “THINGS’ with you, such as things like “your agenda” or what you want God to do, SIMPLY COME AND REST.

Of course there needs to be structure in our praying and we need to at least come before the Lord and prepare our hearts with an attitude of Confession & Repentance & Surrender which will lead us into Thanksgiving, Praise & Worship. Hopefully this has put the brakes on our rushing around and we can stop and “smell the roses” and simply enjoy His manifest presence, and let His REST flow over us.

We must learn to stay still (like a smartphone needs too) and let the Holy Spirit RECHARGE you. Paul expresses this so well in Romans 8:11 KJV But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also QUICKEN your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Peters reminds us how much we need this in Acts 3:19 NKJV So that times of REFRESHING may come from the presence of the Lord.

So my word to you my readers, and to myself, make a good spiritual habit to daily accept the Lord’s invitation to come into His presence, without an agenda, and wait in His presence and experience the quickening refreshing power of God amen. Let’s do it WE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.