Alone with God

And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. --John 6:3 

Just prior to this miraculous multiplying of the bread and fish, Jesus "went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples"(6:3). That fact is noteworthy. It seems plain that Jesus withdrew purposely from the great press of people who had been pursuing Him. 

There are some things that you and I will never learn when others are present. I believe in church and I love the fellowship of the assembly. There is much we can learn when we come together on Sundays and sit among the saints. But there are certain things that you and I will never learn in the presence of other people. 

Unquestionably, part of our failure today is religious activity that is not preceded by aloneness, by inactivity. I mean getting alone with God and waiting in silence and quietness until we are charged with God's Spirit. Then, when we act, our activity really amounts to something because we have been prepared by God for it.... 

And Pastor Latrice Pace writes

Have you ever seen a couple and thought, “Wow, they look like siblings?”

If given the opportunity to spend a little time with them, you may find that not only do they look alike, they think and act alike.

They speak the same language, have the same purpose, visions and goals. They are simply in sync. They have found their “rhythm”, if you will. I witnessed 36 of the 52 years my parents were married (until death he did part) and they made it a priority to serve, learn, get to know and spend time with one another.

Ephesians 5:25 admonishes husbands to go all out in their love for their wives, exactly as Christ has done for us. A love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love for us makes us whole and so should a husband’s love toward his wife.

His words should evoke her beauty. Everything He does and says is designed to bring out the best in her which is to his advantage since they are one, striving for that harmony.

Our fellowship with God is parallel to the marital relationship. The more time we spend with Him, the more we become the mirror image of Him. We will begin to think, act and speak like Him.

Spending time with God should never be a task or chore. It’s not the next bullet on your to do list or a quick consult when you’re either in distress or looking for answers.

Our time with Him is our existence. It’s where we receive instruction, get clarity and direction.

It gives us the opportunity to know Him and become of like mind. We become aligned with His will, His purpose and His plan for our lives. Our time with Him teaches us to love unreservedly. It heals the wounds of our past and makes us whole.

His words spoken during our time alone affirms and builds confidence while at the same time demolishing fear and inferiority. It establishes trust so we can undoubtedly know His character and rest boldly in His abilities.

It disconnects us from confusion, frustration and our daily emotional roller coasters. It gives us access to His peace and puts us in the calm of it all.

Our time with God exposes our hidden motives, impure hearts, and personal agendas, which help keep us in a place of humility, thereby bringing us all to repentance that we may experience ‘the refreshing from His presence’.