DAY 3.
The promises of God are real and vital for us to get hold off and today we are invited to 'come' once again in Mark 6 v 31 by the Master.
'Come ye apart and rest awhile' now the invitation is given to weary disciples who have been running around doing the duty whilst trying to take in the miracles taking place around them.
The had been listening and looking to their Lord and Saviour but were very tired trying to take it all in and the Teacher has ministered to the crowd so now He can minister to the few.
The disciples are exhausted trying to keep up with the events that have come thick and fast to them.
Physically they are still strong but mentally they are wrestling with situations that leave them baffled, they cannot take in any more, was their feeling.
The observant Master calls them to 'come apart' to come away from the lecture room out into the quiet place to 'rest awhile'.
If we turn to Matthew 13 and 14 we find a catalogue of miracles and parables
that come fast one on another.
The disciples had little time to take them all in and many were slowing down rapidly physically and mentally.
At the first opportunity the Master calls a halt to the proceedings and kindly says to His children 'come away' from it all for a while.
How often we get bogged down by the situation that we are in and we struggle on in our own strength, wearied and tired doing our duty.
The Master has been watching us carefully and keeps saying to us 'come away for a while' and rest in My company.
I find it interesting in these days listening to the average Christian whose life is so full they cannot find time to get alone with the Lord.
It would seem that the enemy of or souls has filled our time with work and pleasure that we do not have time to come apart and to rest a while in our heavenly Fathers presence.
We are afraid of being alone with God, we are frightened to set time aside that belongs to God, a half hour each day that would transform our life.
Indeed we are afraid of the quietness that waiting upon the Lord will generate, being still in His presence learning to wait upon the King in His glory.
The devil will fill our days gladly so that we have time for the flesh life, the worldly things of life but no time for the Lord Jesus our Saviour
Another ploy that he uses is I cannot understand the bible it is hard and complicated in truth it is boring for many.
Their Christian life portrays a selfish and self centred attitude that wants everything on a plate and just when the say so.
The Christian disciple will gladly accept this invitation 'come you apart' if their life is in harmony with God, what greater invitation could we receive?
To come into the conscious presence of the Living God to commune and fellowship with Him at the Throne of Grace.
Such precious times will increase for the diligent and obedient soul, because time flies by as we learn to rest and learn in His company.
There is wisdom and knowledge that cannot be gained any other way or in any other place than in the quiet place alone with God.
The sad thing is that there are enforced times of rest put upon us through ill health or through tragedy in the family that God uses to draw us to Himself.
It is His way of revealing the depth of His love to us because we are to busy to learn it any other way, He stops as well as saying 'go'
Will you notice the v 31 there was much coming and going. It points to the activities that the disciples were involved in.
The activities that did not necessarily involve their own walk before the Lord, no room to make the changes necessary in life to bring us into Christ likeness.
The Lord Jesus had a great deal to reveal to them about the Spiritual life that involved being still as much as running around.
We run away many times because we get convicted in the being still, we then make the excuses on why we are so active.
It is in the quiet place that our life is adjusted into Christ likeness, were the Holy Spirit can bring the word alive in us as well as to us.
The quiet place is where the adjustments are made in our life that are needed if we are to become like Christ.
Then the quiet place is where we can be built up into the soldier that our Father would have us become, overcomer's instead of being overcome.
The Lord Jesus was well aware of the battles ahead of Him and of the disciples He wanted to teach them in the desert place the way of victory over the world, flesh and the enemy.
Hindsight is a very good thing but we cannot live in hindsight, we can learn from the mistakes we have made in the past and our Father forgives us as we repent of them.
To come aside though will bring us to the place where we learn to see the temptation coming on us and we can flee from it in the Spirit of God.
Now that is something multitudes of Christians would like to believe because of their regular failure on certain issues.
Well we dream no longer start coming to the quiet place alone with our Father and rest in His presence so that you can learn the secret of mastery first hand.
Now in Mark 6 v 33 we notice that fact that people see the value of the quiet hour and they will seek to fill it for you.
Crowds suddenly appear seeking the Master just when the time was available for the disciples to rest awhile v 35.
This situation was the back drop for the 'Feeding of the five thousand' because they were as sheep without a shepherd.
So the miracle and the needs of the multitudes came first to the Master but He takes His disciples across into foreign territory to meet their needs.
The feeding of the mind is more important than the feeding of the body for those diligent Christian disciples and for the spiritually destitute unconverted.
The truth becomes apparent as the chapter unfolds and the next chapter is seen in context, a full stomach does not lead to a seeking spirit.
The disciples are found arguing over the miracle of the loaves and fishes it did not fill their heart and mind with the words of eternal life.
The Lord Jesus has so much to teach His people and the desperate situation on the lake in the storm brought them to the position where they wanted to learn the truths from Him.
The 'come you apart' brings out the truth that though the disciples had learned many things in the activity there were far more to learn in the quiet place.
The miracles provoke thoughts in out hearts about the power of the Lord Jesus but the personal ministry provokes the seeking of power themselves.
The Holy Spirit gives the strength and power for each situation we face but He delights to draw us closer into Christ likeness as a result.
