The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. Mark 6:30-32 NASB
When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” Mark 6:35-36 NASB One of the greatest dichotomies in the Christian life is the concept of being filled while remaining hungry. Jesus says in Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. What happens when we are filled with righteousness? Do we no longer hunger and thirst for it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18 to "be filled with the Holy Spirit". What happens when we obey that command? Do we no longer thirst for more of the Spirit? When we look at the concept of hunger and thirst from a human perspective we think of food and drink. Food and drink fill us up removing the hunger and thirst that we had. But this concept is different in the kingdom of God, and our spirits are not like our stomachs. Our spirits are like bottomless pits that consume all day long. Our spirits are desperately hungry and thirsty desiring to be filled at every moment. What we are consuming is of extreme importance. Jesus in Mark 6:31 had just sent His disciples away to rest and to get something to eat. Then there is a large crowd that follows them to the other side of the sea that are hungry. The disciples recognize that the people are hungry and urge Jesus to send them away so that the people can get something to eat. The disciples did not recognize that the Bread of Life was with them and that He was able to feed them. These people were hungry and were about to be filled and satisfied, yet their hunger and thirst for more of Jesus was just going to be intensified by this experience. In the kingdom of God the call is to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalm 34:8 It is in our tasting that we desire more and more. Once we open the bible and begin to read we are tasting of the goodness and revelations of God, and we desire more. We wonder why we ever leave the word behind when their is so much nourishment that we receive. When we are out of the word, our spirits are still hungry and thirsty for something, anything really. When we taste of the transformation that takes place when we pray for someone who is sick or hurting, we desire it more and more. When we taste of the salvation that comes when we share the gospel with someone, we desire it more and more. Only in the kingdom of God can we feast all day long on the majesty of God and never come to the end of the 'meal'. The God of all creation has no end; we will never find the depths of who He is. Our spirits are hungry and thirsty; fill up your spirit with more of Him. Questions to Consider: 1. Do you ever feel like you have been in church for a long time and have "heard it all"? How can you stir yourself up to hunger and thirst for more of God? 2. How are you pouring out on others what God is pouring into you?
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The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. Mark 6:30-32 NASB
The disciples were very busy this particular day ministering to others. They had gone out into the surrounding cities preaching repentance and casting out demons (Mark 6:7-13). They are spiritually charged up and come back to Jesus to report what had taken place that day. Jesus doesn't tell them that there are still more who need the message of the kingdom so "get back to work". Jesus tells them to go to a secluded place to rest for a while. Going away into seclusion was one of Jesus's normal practices. Jesus is not promoting a selfish notion to His disciples to worry about yourself when there are thousands of people who need the message of the kingdom. He is trying to teach them the importance of getting alone to rest for a while. He is teaching them the importance of being with the Father rather than working for the Father. In Luke 5 we see Jesus demonstrating this exact principle through His own life. In Luke 5:12-13, a man with leprosy comes up to Jesus asking to be cleansed. Jesus heals him of his affliction and tells the man not to tell anyone except the priests. But the news about what had happened began to spread so that large crowds were gathering around Jesus to receive healing and to hear Him teach. In the midst of this amazing revival that broke out, Luke says: But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 NASB This was a custom of Jesus to slip away to rest and pray to His Father. I am convinced that it is in this place of rest and seclusion that we find hidden diamonds of the character of God that have been waiting for us to discover. In these restful times we will discover some of the sweetest experiences that we can have with our heavenly Father. There are many who view prayer and meditation as work but that's not the way that God has designed it, or the way we see it demonstrated through the life of Christ. What we are about to see in the next few verses is that their time of rest is going to be interrupted by a large crowd of people that followed them to the other side of the sea. So, what we do during these sweet, precious, and sometimes short times is extremely important. We don't know when God will bring someone along that needs a touch form God, so we must be prepared. Our preparation begins and ends in the place of seclusion. Questions to Consider: 1. How much time do you spend alone with God on a daily basis? What do those times consist of? 2. Do you struggle with wanting to just be alone and not "going out"? Why do you think this is? Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:25-30 NASB95 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. [26] Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. [27] All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. [28] “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. [30] For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” I was hoping for green pastures and still waters, instead, I find myself in a valley of shadows, doubts and despair. I was promised a burden that would be light and a yoke that would be easy; but, in this moment, my burden is crushing, and my yoke is overwhelming. The loses are adding up. Loss of influence, loss of vision, loss of hope, reversals in places where I had illusions for a better outcome. In the midst of my personal darkness is a point of light. A welcoming voice and a beckoning Spirit. There is a certainty in my heart that if I reach out for the light, I will find a place of peace. Indeed, a place where the burden is light and where the yoke is easy. As I step into the light it dawns on me; I have been overwhelmed by carrying a burden of success orientation; of wanting to please others; of making a name for myself; of building my own kingdom. The cost of being on the throne of one’s own life is staggering. I was never destined to be a king; rather, I was redeemed to be a servant of the King. Once again, I throw off the self-inflicted burden of self-importance, and exchange it for the relief found in serving King Jesus. It is paramount that I keep my eyes on Jesus and that I serve His purposes rather than chase after my own fleeting aspirations. I give my personal burdens to the author and finisher of my faith and...there it is...a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light. Questions to Consider:
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