“A DESOLATE PLACE!”

 

Mark 1:35-39                          (ESV)

JESUS Preaches in Galilee

“[35] And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, HE departed and went out to “A DESOLATE PLACE”, and there HE PRAYED. [36] And Simon and those who were with HIM searched for HIM, [37] and they found HIM and said to HIM, “Everyone is looking for you.” [38] 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.” [39] And HE went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

JESUS IS GOD, according to John 10:30, so why did HE feel the NEED to go to “A DESOLATE PLACE” to be able to pray to the FATHER?  JESUS was also fully human, which I Believe necessitated HIM NEEDING to spend time ALONE with the FATHER to strengthen HIS relationship with HIM.   An excerpt from a Bible Scholar’s website puts it this way, “The healthy Christian life is neither wholly solitary nor wholly communal. We withdraw, like Jesus, to “a desolate place” to commune with God (Mark 1:35), and then return to the bustle of daily tasks and the needs of others.”

In the first chapter of Mark, JESUS had just experienced MANY people who needed healing!  Just on the previous day HE had healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and then healed “all who were sick or oppressed by demons” (Mark 1:32)!  The entire city was outside of the door where JESUS was!!!  Wasn’t this the perfect scenario to GROW HIS KINGDOM?  Why wouldn’t HE take advantage of the opportunity to grow HIS work???  

One thing that most of us have difficulty grasping is that GOD does HIS most awesome things when we “get out of HIS way”!  A popular Christian website offers this observation: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” —Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)!  This servant was only 39 years old when he died, but ALMIGHTY GOD had already OPENED his EYES to SEE what many never are able to observe!  We NEED to withdraw and stop trying to help GOD be GOD, for HE doesn’t require anything from us!!!

I’ve shared many times that the most AWESOME MIRACLE I have experienced in my physical life happened from July 09, 2007 to July 29, 2007.  Even my medical records indicate that my healing was a “miracle from GOD”!  Much of those 21 days were spent with me in a coma, unable to assist with ANYTHING!  One might UNDERSTAND that I would be able to SEE that GOD DOES NOT require me to do ANYTHING for HIM to accomplish HIS PLAN!  JESUS voluntarily went to “A DESOLATE PLACE” so HE could be ALONE with GOD!  What do I have to do to be able to SEE that GOD desires me to do the same???