“BY HIMSELF!”

John 6:15                              (ESV)

“Perceiving then that they (the people) were about to come and take HIM by force to make HIM king, JESUS WITHDREW AGAIN TO THE MOUNTAIN “BY HIMSELF”.”

Very seldom do I use one verse in writing a devotional.  It is too easy for an author to take single verses out of context and try to make it fit into what man wants it to say and miss what GOD is saying.  It is NO COINCIDENCE that this verse came across my path recently with people being encouraged to seclude ourselves from “this world”!?!  But putting the entire chapter of John 6 seemed a bit drastic, yet there didn’t appear to be a “natural” place to break from what needed to be said.   

JESUS had just performed a miracle of magnanimous proportions.  HE had fed 5,000 men, along with women and children, so probably over 10,000 people at least!  Celebrating that so many had experienced a miracle of GOD would appear to be what JESUS had come to earth to accomplish?  But HE “perceived” that they had misunderstood what HE had done.  HE “perceived” that they had received the blessing of a full stomach, BUT THEIR SPIRITS REMAINED UNCHANGED.  

GOD knows when our SPIRIT has been changed for HIS GLORY.  In Mark 5:25-34 JESUS was in a crowd of people and the woman with an issue of blood touched HIS garment IN FAITH and JESUS knew!  HE also knew when the people of John 6 weren’t changed!  We can’t fake it or trick JESUS into a confession that HE is LORD of our lives.  HE doesn’t need us to do anything for our salvation, HE HAS DONE IT ALL!  In Exodus 14:14 the Children of Israel were whining and crying about the Egyptians approaching from their rear.  Mountain ranges were on either side of them, and the Red Sea was in front of them.   BUT GOD had a Plan, and the Egyptians were going DOWN!  Literally!!!  HE said to Moses “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."”!!!

Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH. And THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST.”  The SPIRIT OF GOD doesn’t need any assistance from you or me!  HE doesn’t want to be an earthly ruler or to have untold wealth.  HE WITHDREW to the MOUNTAIN to be “BY HIMSELF”, for HE alone was sent to purchase our salvation, not HE and me!  

Putting it bluntly, we need to depend on HIS PRESENCE versus HIS PROVISION!!!