"There he came to a cave and lodged in it." 1 Kings 19:9 (ESV)
At this point in my life, God is teaching me one simple truth. I must be with Him. I'm hearing His call to come away and be with Him more and more lately. With all that we have going on in our fast-paced little worlds, it seems so hard just to be still. We throw around the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God," but when is the last time that really happened?
I have heard stories all my life of how godly men and women spent hours in prayer and study, seeking God's face. I used to always beat myself up about my devotional life... or lack thereof. I was so amazed at these seemingly super-disciplined saints.
How does one have such a devotional life? Discipline may have something to do with it. But I think it is more about desperation for me.
I am overwhelmed with this one realization... I need Jesus. I not only love Him and want to know Him as much as He can be known, but I see that I can't live without Him. I can't function. I can't be used of God if I haven't been at His feet. I can't be a godly husband or father if I'm not spending time alone with Him. I can't even act or think rightly if I've not been with Him. If I don't meet with Him consistently, I'm miserable! Nothing else satisfies my longing heart, and I'm okay with that. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I wish I had discovered this truth earlier in my life. I pray that this desire never lessens, that God's call would never be drowned out by the world.
I'm reading "In Light Of Eternity: The Life of Leonard Ravenhill." For my friends in ministry, here's a quote that sums it all up...
Ravenhill once said, "Lots of preachers burn out and then come to me saying, 'Brother Ravenhill, I really need a vacation.' I always tell them, 'No you don't - you need a cave.' They haven't been spending time alone with God consistently. Then they grow weak, spiritually lean, and drained because they are not replenishing and maintaining their spiritual life. But men won't get alone because we are afraid of loneliness. We can't take it. But if you don't know how to get alone with God, you won't know God deeper. There is no painless Pentecost. Many grab at the power that the saints knew in the Upper Room. But who wants the three years of trailing the Master? Then the ten days of tarrying in the Upper Room? There is a preparation, a price, and often true pain."
Find your cave and meet with God.
