ALONE WITH GOD
MEMORISE: And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. Luke 4:42
READ: Psalms 84:1-12
1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
MESSAGE:
The greatest experiences a man can have in life are drawn from the moments he spends alone with God. Those times when destinies are shaped. If you look through the Scriptures and study people who achieved great feats for God, you will notice that all of them spent quality time alone with God. In Exodus 24:18, Moses had been in the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights spending time alone with God. No wonder he is the only man who ever saw God. After seeing the back of God inExodus 33:23, the Bible says the glory that shone on his face was so bright that people could not look at him. That is what happen when you spend time with God: His glory rubs off on you and it is evident to everyone around you.
Many times when the Bible talks about Elijah, he was on the mountain top. You go to the mountain top because you want to get away from where people are so that you can be alone with God. What was the result of Elijah's constant fellowship with God? He could call down fire from heaven anytime he wanted. He was also the first prophet to ever bring dead back to life. It is those times that you spend with God that He enlarges your capacity to do greater things than you used to. Joseph was a very busy man in Potiphar's house, overseeing his master's many great possessions. All that time that he was busy, he didn't grow beyond being a dreamer. When he was locked up in prison however, he had time to be alone with God and grew from being a dreamer to becoming an interpreter of dreams.
Your greatest potential will only be realised when you spend quality time with God. During Jesus' earthly ministry, He never joked with His quiet time (Luke 6:12, 21:37). No wonder He was able to fulfil His destiny as tough as it was. Be intentional about spending quality time with God - praising Him, praying, fasting, studying and meditating on His word. Don't joke with your quiet time with God; it is your most important meeting every day.
REFLECTION
How many minutes/hours do you spend alone with God daily?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 104- 106
HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.
