How many times do you get pulled away from something you are working on to do something else? It might be someone at work who thinks you have nothing better to do than do their work. It might be the ‘emergency’ that arises that really is the result of someone else’s poor planning. And of course children bring with them the unexpected and the interruptions. There are so many things that can get us off track from what is really important in life. Mine is Netflix in the evenings! They say confession is good for the soul.
Sometimes these distractions are actually good things, worthwhile endeavors, things with lasting value. Sometimes they are a complete waste of our time and energies. The real question I want to ask is this. What do we do after the distraction? Do we get back on track with what is important?
We all get distracted. Even Jesus in His training plan for His disciples seems to have gotten off track. He wanted to pull them aside and give them some one on one time, some time to rest. But with every move to accomplish this plan the crowds show up and change the training plan for the day. I am sure Jesus has the ability to make the most of it, but it was still different from His original stated plan.
They have fed the crowd and gathered up the leftovers. Jesus knows His disciples need some time away from the crowds, so He puts them in a boat even before the crowds have dispersed. He wants to give them a break, and He takes the burden of all the loose ends.
Our text doesn’t say this, but I bet there were a lot of needs met as the crowd dispersed. I am sure people came and asked for prayer, for healing, and for deliverance, people who couldn’t get close because of the size of the crowd. We see it in church, after the final prayer, people come forward to talk to the pastor. Jesus didn’t need His disciples around to have compassion. He was compassion embodied.
And then when the crowd is gone He goes aside for prayer. Prayer is what Jesus turns to when He needs refreshing. We see it repeatedly in His life and ministry. He pulls aside and spends time in prayer. Not a bad example to follow!
But I think so many of us, myself included, have lost the essence of prayer. Or perhaps we only experience one aspect of prayer, say petition. For many of us we have not learned the power of being silent in God’s presence, of quieting our soul and allowing Him to speak with His presence in the core of our being. There may not be words in those times, but words fail when His presence is present. It is like the hug when bad news comes. The hug speaks more than any words could.
Pull aside and spend time in prayer.
The Arnold Journey 