Deuteronomy 27-31; Mark 2

Our church family is loud and each Sunday one never expects what could happen that will generate a lot of noise. My wife comes from a Catholic background, and as we grow older she misses the quite, the reverence and she is beginning to use the word, holiness, in describing what it means to be in the presence of God.

Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God. – Deuteronomy 27:9 NASB

I find that my own experience in church is starting to shape the same way as my wife’s. I find that when I am worshipping, I am reminded of God’s love and mercy, and my first reaction is not to be loud, but to be silent and to reflect on those memories and then give thanks, reverence and love to Him.

Silence was a way that God taught His people to be calm before His presence and here was a great example during the first worship and consecration service in Israel. I believe it helped them focus their hearts and minds on the magnitude of their vow renewal before God.

It was a reminder that God chose them.

When I look at my own prayer time, I know fasting will have to part of my experience when I meet with God alone.

But the days will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast, on that day. – Mark 2:20 NASB

It has not happened yet, but I know that it will have it’s place and time in my life. Most of the time I think I have no time or no place for fasting. When I think like that I find that I am out of balance. I am going to try fasting somewhere in the next two weeks and put into practice a key ingredient in my alone time with God.

I know that Jesus wants to know me and to interact with me. Spending time with Him will make that happen. Who would not want to spend time with those we are intimately connected to? If heaven is my reality, the thought of heaven raises my head above my circumstances to see Jesus – He is the one who loves me and promises me eternal life. One day I will be with Him forever, close and intimate, being with Him in love.

Father, as I take advantage of my quiet time with You, I pray that our time will be filled with many memories of Your love and mercy in my life. I pray that You will fill my time with Your presence, Your holiness and I pray that my response will be fasting and yielding more of my life to You. I look forward to the day that this will not have to be something I plan to do, but one that I will be doing everyday when I am with You forever.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

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Numbers 22-25; Acts 20

I once admired the monks of old that holed up in a monastery somewhere and learned the rites and passages of the Bible and became wise in their studies. They learned things that others had no idea about. In many ways I thought this was the best way to live. So I get it when the Israelites were ordered to stay in isolation from other nations.

For I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
Behold, a people that lives in isolation,
And does not consider itself to be among the nations. – Numbers 23:9 NASB

The outward separation can be a symbol of my inward separation from the world, and then my inward separation becomes an indispensable condition of my outward separation and safety.

When I think of the Amish, or where I live, the old order of Mennonites, I think that would affect my politics, my morality and the possession of peculiar privileges like it has theirs.

So I look at my alone time as not a separation but as a time to recharge, reengage and listen to the voice of God so that I am relevant to this world. Paul seemed to understand this.

But we went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for that was what he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. – Acts 20:13 NASB

I never saw this before – while others sailed, Paul walked. Paul needed time to pray, mediate and seek direction from God. That is what I am looking to do too. They sailed forty miles and Paul walked twenty-five and he walked alone. Jesus used to draw aside from times like this too.

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace. – Acts 20:24 NASB

I have put my faith in Jesus. I know that means my walk glorifies God and reveals Him to others. Paul was no stranger to dangerous journeys. He survived them because he knew he was with Jesus on the journey. I want to finish the race and complete the task Jesus has given me. I will need some alone time with Him, from time to time, in order for that to happen.

Father, Your gracious grace to walk with me and to meet me in my alone time with You goes as far back as Your walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. I am blessed indeed to be on this journey and to know that You are with me always. Thank You.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

Leviticus 19-20;Acts 10; Psalm 13

I know I like to share the amazing times that I have had being alone with God, but to leave it there would not be sharing the whole truth. There are many times when I meet with God, when I spend time alone with Him, and He is absent and sometimes the “why” is not always clear.

How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me? – Psalm 13:1 NASB

I have asked this question after a prolonged period of silence, but I know that there is something He is calling me to listen for and in the silence of my waiting it will only be a matter of time.

That is where my patience comes from. I do not care for the length of my waiting but I have experienced the impatience and that has never ended well. I know that my time of silence with God is going to end and I ask the question, “How long?” less and less.

The secret, I find, is to find that sin, that thing that I prioritize more then God.

Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves cast metal gods; I am the Lord your God. – Leviticus 19:4 NASB

I may love God so much, but there are times when, without realising it, I have turned both my heart and my face away from Him. I walk into an arena of “pretend.” How is it that I feel I can walk in both worlds?

All this gets straightened out when I keep waiting and listening.

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. – Acts 10:9 NASB

Now this is an unforgettable time alone with God and the quiet place is a housetop.

Peter was following the same discipline of solitude that Jesus had cultivated. He had taken what Jesus perfected in the art of getting alone with God. He had learned the secret of waiting on God. They are both perfect examples. So I seek and find my solitary place to regularly get alone with God.

The idea is that solitude is when I am alone with God – completed by silence – it is a time where I do nothing. My devotional time is for Bible study etc. and my alone time is solitude and silence. I am focusing on my intimacy with Jesus. I am unhooking from my daily responsibilities and the people I interact with, in order to be with Jesus alone. When I am in solitude, I do not try to make anything happen. I just bring myself, as I am, to Jesus to be with Him.

Father, how amazing is the journey You set my heart on when I keep listening, engaging with You, hearing You lead me in the way You have purposed me to go. Amazing things happen to me and to others. Thank You.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

Exodus 25-27; Luke 24

When my wife and I are with friends, we noticed how we have great conversation, great food, and have a long night of being together. What gets us is that at the door, with everything ready to go, we spend another 30 minutes or even more, talking some more. We were at one time embarrassed by that, but then rested in it because those 30 minutes were some of the more intimate moments of conversation that we did not have around the dining room table or in the living room. I see that a little bit in how my alone time with God has been looking. I spend time and then I want to linger. So I love the story of the two on the road to Emmaus.

 And so they strongly urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. – Luke 24:29 NASB

Is it not true? When I spend time with Jesus, I do not want to let go. I am starving for truth, for love, for conversation that takes me to a place where I am more than who I am. I have boldness, courage, strength, faith to move mountains. Is it true that faith comes from hearing the Word? It must be, because Jesus is the Word and when He speaks my life compeletely changes. Here the two men “strongly urged” Him to stay with them because they wanted to spend as much time as they could with this experience, this feeling, this life changing conversation. I keep forgetting that they just came from Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified a few days ago.

And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. – Luke 24:31 NASB

This is crazy right? They did not see Him, recognize Him – not at all? How many times have I not prayed for the Holy Spirit to open my eyes as I read the Word? How can I possibly forget to invite Him into my world to change me, to give me an experience with Him that I will never forget? I tell you what, if I had just spent a long journey with someone who changed my life, then found out it was Jesus, the lover of my soul, and then see Him vanish before my eyes, I too would have ran back to Jerusalem to tell everyone He is indeed was risen from the dead.

I am reminded again how important the Old Testament was to Jesus. I love that we look at the Word from both an Old Testament (larger reading portion because there are more books) and from a New Testament lens every day. Each day is an adventure as to how the Holy Spirit will speak to me and from which portion of the Word.

“May the time we spend together in Your presence nourish our hearts and minds; may it strengthen our relationship with You, and renew our commitment to live in this world as Your faithful disciples.“

Erwin (evanlaar1922)

Genesis 44-47; Luke 14

I want to spend some alone time with God because I love Him. It reminds me of my granddaughter, who, sitting on Nana’s lap whispered in her ear as we were to take her home with us for a couple of days – “Nana, let’s go now, I need some alone time with you and Papa.”

When I think of the story of Joseph there are a few points that I can relate to.

Look at Joseph’s ability to forgive. Was not the miracle of grace obvious to his relationship with God? It was beautiful. When I spend time alone with God, do I not want to connect with others by praying that God would move heaven and earth in favour of those I am praying for? I can only imagine what Joseph’s prayer life looked like as he spent time with God, but something tells me his family was a key component and by doing so he was never really separated from them.

So now, when I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us—since our father’s life is so attached to the boy’s life— when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die. So your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant, our father, down to Sheol in sorrow.  For your servant accepted responsibility for the boy from my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then my father can let me take the blame forever.’  So now, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go up with his brothers.  For how shall I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear that I may see the evil that would overtake my father.” – Genesis 44:30-34 NASB

Look at the miracle speech of the brothers, so different than it was with Joseph. Somehow they too felt the power of Joseph’s prayers and each of them, especially Judah, found a way to get back to being right, leaving behind the life he once had.

And Joseph responds with affection and gives them an invitation to approach.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold to Egypt. – Genesis 45:4 NASB

While I spend time alone with God, what wonderful miracles take place when I am surrounded by those I have been praying for. The invitation to come.

I am truly saddened by how many people, including the majority of them who call themselves Christians, who are looking for meaning and purpose in the lives. They fail to see that the answer to that question is God. My purpose is not to make more money, become more powerful, sell or buy more things, do more things, travel more places, or whatever it is that I might think I am waiting for in this life. My life purposes are found in God alone.

Father, thank You for the miracles that come from being alone with You.

Erwin (evanlaar1922)