In returning from their mission “to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal,” the apostles gathered to report to the Lord Jesus “all that they had done and taught.” In response, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:31). Note: the apostles “had no leisure even to eat.” There seems to be a message in Jesus’ statement for many of us as Christians. We are so very busy and involved in our day-to-day work activities that there is little or no time for other things. Even when “other things” are important.
Jesus had “called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1,2). These apostles were specifically commissioned by Jesus to do the all-importanttask“to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal.” Our Lordwas fully aware of the exhaustion, mental and physical strain, involved in the apostles’ tasks. And that they would need to “take a break.” The context says, “For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Because of His compassion, and knowing all things, Jesus asked them to “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” We should not assume that Jesus meant “rest a while” meant all rest with no prayer and meditation.
The Bible tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). That is absolutely true. However, the human body needs rest and refreshment from time to time, even in our Christian service. Even our Lord and Master though He was “very God of very God” needed to rest (Mark 4:38). Taking time out from our work activities will help to prepare us for the next round activities.
Jesus told His apostles to “come away . . . to a desolate place and rest awhile.” Worship requires devotion and preparation. There is a definite link between rest and worship. Tiredness is a reminder of the fragility of the human body. For example, the hustle and bustle of daily living can rob us of spending quality time with God in prayer and meditation. if we allow busyness to be our top priority, it will certainly be that.
Every Christian must decide how their time will be spent each and every day. There are twenty-four hours in a day. Divided by three means three 8-hour segments. Generally, this means eight hours of work, eight hours of sleep and eight hours break or free time. The question then becomes how do I spend the the second segment? The point is we can hardly “find” the time to do that which glorifies and honors God. Therefore, we must eithertake or “sacrifice” that time. Some of us may remember these lines of that beautiful old hymn “Take time to be holy; the world rushes on; Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.” How we need to reflect on these important and inspiring words,
For some of us, the “desert place” could be a “time out” for reflection and review of our attitude, priorities, and commitment to our Lord. And that would be a good thing when done in a prayerful manner, because our body, soul, and spirit need care and attention. The Christian life is all about God, not about us. The Bible says, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
This text says “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.” Think for a moment. Our Lord Jesus endured the Cross for us—the humiliation and shame associated with that Cross. As a result, we have been reconciled to God, because Jesus was “making peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). With these things in mind, let’s ask ourselves, is it asking too much to devote a portion of my time for God?
When all is said and done, this world has absolutely nothing spiritual to offer the Christian. We are only pilgrims just passing through—our citizenship is in heaven. The Bible tells the following about Abraham, “By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land . . . For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:9,10). Shouldn’t we be like Abraham, looking forward to that Celestial city, where God is on His throne? Oh, blessed and happy day that will be.
It is absolutely essential for us to have communion with God. Jesus is our greatest example. The Bible says that Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). We also read that Jesus “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him, and they found Him and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why i came out”(Mark 1:35-38). It is apparent that Jesus took time for communion with God and also to prayerfully prepare for His activities. If our Lord took the time to commune with His Father, how much more do we need to do the same. May the Lord help us to do likewise.