“Solitude is the creation of an open, empty space in our lives by purposely abstaining from interaction with other human beings, so that, freed from competing loyalties, we can be found by God” (Life with God Bible, p. 531).
How many of you can remember a time, where our grandparents would talk about working in the field as children? A time without the World Wide Web at their finger tips. A time where the loudest sounds they heard were of God’s creation around them or the sounds of their moms’ blender making bread. My grandmother would have old hymns or classical music in the background and everything was so relaxed. I sometimes wonder if our anxiety has been amplified because we have more distractions and disruptions?
Scriptural solitude is defined as withdrawing from the world around you, for a spiritual purpose. Generally it is sought in order to engage in other spiritual disciplines without the distractions typical in the presence of people. Why is it critical in our journey to regularly seek out a time of solitude? To answer that question, who better to imitate than Jesus?
Many times in scripture Jesus would seek out solitude. Jesus often got alone, not just for rest and a change of pace, but also that He might spend time in communion with His heavenly Father.
- “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23).
- “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” (Mark 1:35).
I can’t speak for others, but I have always been someone who had a fear of being alone. I have also had a hard time being “Still”, because when I’m still the enemy would play mind games and try to grab a hold of me. So I felt I needed to keep moving. Stay busy. But that busyness only allowed the enemy to distract me more from the true Kingdom Purpose my God was trying to bring me to. This “Social Distancing” order has really tested me and created a void within me. But what if that void was for the purpose of me to go into the spiritual solitude finally and let the voids I had always filled with those around me or work, finally be filled by that Kingdom Purpose and my Lord’s likeness?
Withdrawing from the presence of all but God gives us an excellent opportunity for focused thinking about gospel truths and realities. We are able to soak in His grace and mercy. Reflect on His promises and freshly apply the gospel to our souls again. We are able to look back and reflect on the blessings that have been given to us before. The ones the enemy tries to get us to forget.
I was talking with a spiritual advisor of mine the other day, and I said “I feel like the closer I get to God, the more the enemy tries to amplify the thorns of my flesh,”. She said, “Absolutely he will. That is why we have to do everything we can to ‘Stay in the Spirit at All times’”. I began to think about that. I didn’t know why my desire was to be in the Spirit at all times, yet I truly was leaving so many open doors for the enemy to distract me. Talk about conviction. If we look at our schedules before “Social Distancing”, what percentage of our day was spent in Solitude with God surrendering to Him so that He could refill our spirits and prepare us for the seasons to come in our lives? If I’m honest, I would say less than 10% of my day. I spent more time on social media sites or texting friends than I did reading scripture or worshiping Him. In the times I was still, God would share mighty words with me. Like now. I was seeking Peace, Closeness, Companionship, Purpose, etc. yet I was looking for it everywhere but from our Lord.
Even Christ, in the middle of healing the sick and casting out Demons, He stopped and went into Solitude in order to be Refilled by His Father. Making sure they were still aligned and that the Father was pleased.
Paul is another example of where He received many revelations in His quiet time with God. In Ephesians where Paul is speaking to the Gentiles about the Lord’s plan he said, “As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.”
Ephesians 3:3 NLT
When Paul is writing His letter to Corinth in Romans 1:12, I can hear myself saying similar words now. I feel it is a lot of the reason that this “Social Distancing” has been so hard for me. The scripture says, “When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” Can’t really get together when there is a deadly virus going around. That is where my depression wants to flare up. But God… God is ready to use this time to refill us, to refine us, and to restore us for the next Season.
During this time when the distractions have been minimized and our Faith is tested, may we be reminded of the true value of solitude in the “Secret Place” with our Lord and Savior. As Jonathan Edwards put it, “True religion disposes persons to be much alone in solitary places for holy meditation and prayer . . . True grace delights in secret converse with God.”
True grace comes through faith in Jesus Christ when we take pleasure in being alone with God. Lord I want to be in the Highlands with you! In that secret place Lord! I will Praise you Lord even in the valleys because I know you are there with me in the shadows!
The Trenches of the Kingdom 