“HE WOULD WITHDRAW!”

 

Luke 5:12-16                                (ESV)

JESUS Cleanses a Leper

“[12] While HE was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw JESUS, he fell on his face and begged HIM, “LORD, if YOU will, YOU can make me clean.” [13] And JESUS stretched out HIS hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. [14] And HE charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” [15] But now even more the report about HIM went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear HIM and to be healed of their infirmities. [16] But “HE WOULD WITHDRAW”would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

There are times when GOD is speaking to me regarding the same Scripture that HE has used in my life a few days prior.  Less than one week ago I wrote about Luke 5:16, and today I am here again!  

Feeling the NEED to be alone with THE CREATOR when “this world” is desperately trying to pull you into ANYTHING that will occupy your being is precisely what JESUS was speaking of in Matthew 6.  We can NOT serve two masters, either we serve YAHWEH, or we serve the god of this world.  The intensity of the “attacks” will be greater as we get closer to our reward, but GOD will win!

The Children of Israel had just been released from 430 years of captivity in Egypt.  ALMIGHTY GOD was leading them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They didn’t begin to murmur and fret until they were WAITING at the Red Sea for the Pharaoh and the Egyptians to catch up to them.  We know that GOD used the “waiting process” for HIS GLORY as HE drowned the Egyptians at the bottom of the Sea. 

We need to understand that GOD doesn’t “need” us to do anything for HIM to get GLORY!  We certainly don’t need to allow ourselves to be so busy “serving” HIM that we ignore that HE is the ONE WHO is in control!  When JESUS WOULD WITHDRAW, the reason could have been that HE was trying to make sure that all GLORY was going to THE FATHER, if for no other reason, as an example to me?  Remember, JESUS humbled HIMSELF (Philippians 2:8) for the GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER and as an example of how we needed to live.

JESUS had just cleansed a leper in the Scripture above.  Yet rather than allowing HIMSELF to celebrate in the healing, “HE WOULD WITHDRAW” and humble HIMSELF.  HE lives in me (John 17:23), but do I desire to deflect all GLORY to HIM instead of receiving the praise and recognition of others?  There is a reason “HE WOULD WITHDRAW” and it takes me slowing down, like the Children of Israel at the Red Sea, to SEE the reasoning behind HIS actions.  “HE WOULD WITHDRAW” was an act of humility that I am continually being taught!!!