Shoulder To Shoulder #1326 -- 1/23/23 ---- "Finding Strength In Solitude"
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #
1326 -- 1/23/23Title: "Finding Strength In Solitude"
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
I greet you today from Yuma, AZ, on an unusually cool January day, just a few days away from our 64th wedding anniversary this coming Sunday. As I begin this letter, it is 46 degrees and the high by the end of the day is supposed to be 64 -- about seven degrees cooler than usual for this time of year. I have absolutely no complaints, and experience no yearnings whatsoever to be back in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Ukraine this time of year. We are perfectly content wearing light jackets or getting out in shirtsleeves. For those less blessed, we envy you not in the least.
God continues blessing our ministry at Chapel de Oro even though our average attendance still runs about 40% below those pre-COVID days. Once again, we had our highest attendance of the season last Sunday -- even with eight regular families out of town. And, once again, we had first-time attendees -- every Sunday since our first service last November 6th.
Earlier today I received an e-letter from a longtime acquaintance, Hans–Georg Hoprich, missionaries in Austria. Former missionaries to the Mamusi tribe of Papua New Guinea, he and his wife, Margaret, were from Stuttgart, Germany. In his letter, he indicated they were entering a new and unknown chapter of their lives as they "retired" from their ministry in Austria. I immediately thought of January 1st, 2003, when Jo Ann and I landed at Borispol International Airport in Kyiv, Ukraine. We had already planned official retirement the following March when I turned 65. Here we are, nearly 20 years later, "still kickin'!"
I sometimes look back over the 67 years since Jo Ann and I first met and began ministering together while she was still a teen in high school and I was Summer youth director in the church my father had come to pastor, and my only response is my jaw drops, and all I can say is, "WOW!!!" Even today at lunch Jo Ann and I talked with Cheri and Bob (daughter and son-in-law) about the amazing journey on which God had taken us, filled with such amazing people -- like "O" with whom I visited earlier today.
Changing topics, now, I want to address a topic that most of us don't like to talk about because we are prone to fill our days with so much activity that we won't have to think about things that hurt us, frighten us, shame us, or discourage us. In order to avoid those thoughts, we busy ourselves far too much -- and evade one thing we usually need the most . . .
Solitude.
And, we'll look at that, right after you consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ The World's Most Persecuted Group: The most persecuted religious group in the world remains Christians. Each year Open Doors publishes its list of the top 50 countries with the most severe persecution of Christians. It is sobering to realize that over 360 million Christians experience some kind of religious persecution. That's one out of every seven Christians. Five of the top ten most persecuted countries are in Africa while four are in Asia. There is no religious group anywhere in the world that is persecuted more severely than Christians. There must be a reason why that is true. https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/.
+ Weaning Away From Supporting Entities With Unbiblical values: Sadly, no one living in America can get completely free from unknowingly supporting far left liberal, socialistic, immoral, or other unbiblical causes. But, we can do what we know to do. We recently changed to Samsung android cell phones in order to reduce our support of the Communist Chinese regime. Years ago we left AARP and have been members of AMAC, founded by an evangelical Christian in 2007, for more than fifteen years. They currently have nearly 2 1/2 million members and offer the same type of features that AARP and others do. One of their services includes a way to get away from some of the big cell phone providers that support liberal causes. Here's an example. If you're wanting to break away, you might give it some consideration. This isn't an endorsement, but merely an alternative some might want to investigate. https://content.amac.us/?Bo1y9Eg41nly35PFbbjd6cZGo6IemdZrB=.
+ Obviously, You're Not Surprised: The "obvious" is the "obvious" -- caring ministries -- such as the development of hospital care, physicians, and the like, are direct products of the teachings of Jesus and the Christian faith. The Gospels are filled with Jesus ministering to practical physical, mental, and emotional needs. One if the writers, Luke, was himself a physician. Jesus made a point to care for people instead of just being religious through the parable of the good Samaritan. Even in the Old Testament evidence shows that compassion was / is a part of God's heart, and those who follow Him are to practice it. So, it should come as no surprise that history since the beginning of Christianity reveals the same fact. Interestingly, in 325 AD, the Council of Nicea stated that any city that has a cathedral should also have a hospital. This is an exceptional thumbnail sketch of how Christianity has ministered compassionately throughout 2,000+ years. Go to https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/healthcare-hospitals-pioneered-christian-charity-american-minute-with-bill-federer.
+ A Special Prayer Request For Yuma: Yuma still needs Biden to close the borders. According to an updated report from the local Fox affiliate, things are getting progressive worse here in Yuma. Most illegals crossing into the U.S. via Yuma are crossing the border directly into prime farm land where much of America's winter crops of vegetables are being raised in highly monitored conditions free from pathogens and other contaminates. Instead, they are being impacted by illegals from numerous countries often carrying with them foreign pest insects, diseases, and herbicides borne in hair, on hands, and on clothing. Inevitably crops are also destroyed by trampling on the plants.
In 2020, there only 8,437 land crossing encounters with illegals. In 2021 under Biden, land crossings multiplied 13 fold to a whopping 114,043 encounters with illegals. Last year in 2022, the number increased to 309,569. Last year then Gov. Ducey was able to hinder and seriously reduce such crossings by putting up walls of shipping containers in strategic places, but the Federal government sued him, forcing him to dismantle the border protection. Immediately the numbers sky rocketed, making further major impact on Yuma's agricultural industry and city infrastructure. Abandoned clothing, debris, back packs, and other such things litter the farmland, yards, and roadways. Homes and outbuildings have been broken into, and there has been an increase in immigrants camping out and/or sleeping on private property.
Homeless shelters, hospitals, doctors' offices, and food pantries are being over run with illegal immigrants, creating further problems for the local homeless, unemployed, poor, and others who need medical care, food, and shelter. At the current rate, Yuma can expect more than 320,000 by the end of the fiscal year which ends June 30th. At the current rate, this could mean far beyond a half million encounters with illegal aliens in Yuma by the end of 2023. Unlike large cities such as El Paso, Yuma has a population of about 96,000, meaning that there are currently nearly four times more illegal aliens coming through Yuma than there are residents. While our house is some 16 to 18 miles from the border, we are still being impacted with food shortages, delays in medical appointments, and increasing prices of food and utilities. Read the report at https://www.theblaze.com/news/yuma-az-record-border-enouncters.
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> "People who take the time to be alone usually have depth, originality, and quiet reserve." -- John Miller
> "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you." -- God (Isaiah 54:10)
> "Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment." -- Richard Foster
> "But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” -- Habakkuk 2:20
> "Solitude, silence, and the strait keeping of the heart, are the foundations and grounds of a spiritual life." -- Robert Leighton
> “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” -- Isaiah 30:15
> "We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." -- C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
> “Be still and know that I am God.” -- God (Psalm 46:10)
> "Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self." -- Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
STRENGTH IN SOLITUDE:
Earlier yesterday following our weekly men's fellowship and Bible study breakfast, I ran across an article by Benjamin Hawkins, new editor of The Pathway, the state online news paper of the Missouri Baptist Convention. It is one of dozens of periodicals I receive each day as I attempt to be personally refreshed while trying to keep abreast of what's going on in the world around me.
The article, written January 24th, was captioned, Spirit of solitude essential in the age of the iPhone. It came on the heels of our aforementioned Bible study on the life of Daniel under the consecutive rules of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius. We had discussed the issue of how we can respond to governing authorities when the commands, laws, and expectations of a government don't seem to mesh with what we know the Bible teaches.
The conclusion at which we arrived was that, while we must ultimately obey God rather than man when there are differences (Acts ), our answers in specific situations will be found most frequently and assuredly in times of solitude. Oddly, solitude, whether in private or public settings, is one thing we often try to avoid. We much prefer that our minds, our days, and our calendars be filled -- with something.
In my last letter I mentioned the experience I had recently experienced when I watched a father and son become so absorbed in their respective smart phones that they didn't look at each other, they barely talked with each other, and the wife, totally oblivious to either of them, sat in bored silence as she stared out the window. They were imprisoned to the idea of "information gathering" -- the idea that the noisier and busier it was, they better off they were and the happier they were.
So much for healthy family life in America.
The busier one is -- whether physically or mentally -- the happier we think we are. We don't have to think. We don't have to contemplate. We don't need to dream. Planning is unnecessary -- even unwanted. The busier we keep ourselves, the less discipline it takes to deal with the real issues of life -- those issues that have lasting results and eternal values.
C. S. Lewis wrote back in 1945, . . .
“We live . . . in a world starved for solitude, silence and privacy.”
What would he think today?
The need for solitude, silence, and privacy was further reinforced last night when I visited the Facebook pages of a number of our friends from Ukraine. The comments and recent photos of several reminded me of their obvious need to be out from under the dangers of the war and the pressures of life they were constantly enduring -- day after day, night after night, week after week . . . in seemingly endless repetition. Then earlier today I was further reminded during a meaningful video chat with "O", one of my students at St. James Bible College in Kyiv, Ukraine 22 years ago.
"O" and his family have an opportunity -- a much needed one -- to spend a few weeks in Romania, but I wonder if the proposed month of March is really soon enough. We spent nearly an hour and a half talking before the electricity went off in his town. In the early stages of the war he made numerous trips into the heart of the fighting taking emergency supplies in and bringing refugees out to safe places. One of those places was the house he and his family live in, and a second house nearby. Scores of widows, young moms and their kids, and others came to live with them as he, his family, and a handful of people supporting him tried to bring comfort, hope, and a semblance of normalcy to these fleeing souls.
Life has its way, even without war, of wearing on you. As one person said to me 40 or so years ago, "Life wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so daily." We laugh, but sometimes it is true. Boredom has its toll, but Burden far more. As a teen spending Summer months on my uncle's farm, I found myself strangely drawn to two practices that each brought me special moments and fond memories -- the barn's hayloft during rainstorms, and long walks through the fields and along the several tiny brooks or through the woods.
It was good to be alone and out of earshot of the sounds of the various pieces of farm machinery I would help my uncle operate. Some of the best times would be during the late evening when the Massey Harris engine had been turned off, the shed door had been closed, and I would walk wearily toward the house -- the "sound of silence" became my favorite sound. Hawkins apparently had similar moments in his growing-up years. He wrote, . . .
"In recent weeks, while considering how best to prepare my pre-teen children for the iPhone age, I remembered the role that silence and solitude played in my own spiritual growth. After all, when I was a teenager, God drew me to Himself amid solitary walks, quiet evenings gazing at the stars, unexpected lulls in the day when I had nothing to do but wait and listen and think, as well as silent moments to read His Word without distraction.
"Where would I be today had I faced the iPhone’s constant barrage of social media, videos, text messages, phone calls, podcasts, audiobooks, kindle books, apps and emails? Of course, even if we lay the smartphone aside, much noise and many other distractions exist around us."
Hawkins went on to point out that recent studies and reports have, "linked smartphones with a growth in loneliness." How interesting that a modern tool that is designed to connect us with the outside world has turned out to be something that disconnects us from relationships while connecting us with places, people, and events -- and in the process, makes us feel lonely. It's one thing to be alone, but it's quite another to be lonely. How odd that one can be lonely while not being alone, but can also be alone without feeling lonely!
Nearly every Sunday when I preach I look into the eyes of lonely people. Over 90% of the congregation -- obviously due to the nature of the chapel -- are over age 70 and almost all over 50. Many of them are actually lonely -- right in the middle of a crowd of smiling and noisy seniors. With some, it is "as plain on the nose of your face" -- but it's their eyes or the down-turned edges of their mouths that reveal that which they didn't want revealed. With this age group, it's the loss of a spouse, deteriorating health, or too much time on one's hands that are often the apparent culprits.
However, I propose that the underlying reason for those three surface reasons triggering feelings of loneliness is because of the absence of solitude. Solitude and being alone are not always the same, and clearly solitude and loneliness are very different.
When you feel lonely, you feel abandoned. When you are alone, you seldom feel abandoned. Developing a discipline of solitude will more than satisfy you, whether you feel lonely, or just happen to be alone. Alfred H. Ackley wrote many poems and hymns. Among Protestants he is probably best known for his hymn, "He Lives". Confronted by a belligerent man who asserted, "Why should I serve a dead Jew!", Ackley replied, "Do you know why I know He lives? It's because He lives within my heart." I will refrain from listing other great hymns most of us have sung, but there are many.
Dozens and dozens of Ackley's songs were written around the idea that there is never a day nor an experience in the life of a Christian when he is alone. One of his lesser known hymns, I Never Walk Alone, profoundly declared that fact. Not long after my seminary days, we had the privilege of having Gloria Roe for a concert in the church I served in Kansas. Born in 1935, she died in 2017. Gloria was a child prodigy in piano, playing at Carnegie Hall at age 11, played for the Billy Graham crusades and performed for several U.S. presidents. She released multiple albums with Word Records over a period of over 30 years. I think of her as a singer with a teardrop in her voice. It is she who introduced the song to us. She wrote, . . .
I NEVER WALK ALONE
I never walk alone, I have the Savior,
Who walks beside me everywhere I go;
My heart rejoices in His loving favor,
And all who will His saving grace may know.
I never walk alone, in stormy weather,
When winds of trouble sweep about my head;
I know I'm safe, because we are together,
And 'round me His protecting love is spread.
I never walk alone, Christ walks beside me,
He is the dearest Friend I've ever known,
With such a Friend to comfort and to guide me,
I never, no, I never walk alone.
SOLITUDE IN A NOISY WORLD:
I don't know about you, but I find it hard to muffle the noises of cash registers, sports frenzy, political double-talk, and thunders of war. The assurance of our Lord's presence is what puts a spring in my step and joy in my heart. Even as an "old man" (I guess that's what people would call me), I still feel the vigor and excitement at this stage of life as I felt as an eight-year-old singing at the top of my voice in that little square church building on the corner of two unnamed streets in Sailor Springs, IL. An anonymous composer's song had found its way into the old tattered and torn hymn books lying on that wooden pew: . . .
I've seen the lightning flashing
And heard the thunder roll
I've felt sin's breakers clashing
Trying to conquer my soul
I've heard the Voice of my Savior
Telling me still to fight on
He promised never to leave me
Never to leave me alone
He died for me on the mountain
For me they pierced His Side
For me He opened the fountain
The crimson cleansing tide
For me He's waiting in glory
Seated upon the throne
He promised never to leave me
Never to leave me alone
How many times discouraged,
we sink beside the way;
About us all is darkness,
we hardly dare to pray;
Then from the mists and shadows,
the sweetest voice e'er known,
Says, "Child, am I not with thee,
never to leave thee alone?"
When in affliction’s valley
I tread the road of care,
My Savior helps me to carry
The cross to heavy to bear.
Though all around me is darkness,
Earthly joys all flown,
My Savior whispers His promise
Never to leave me alone.
O soul, hast thou forgotten,
the tender word and sweet,
Of Him who left behind Him
the print of bleeding feet?
"I never will forsake thee,
O child so weary grown;
Remember, I have promised,
never to leave thee alone?"
Take courage, wayworn pilgrim,
tho' mists and shadows hide
The face of Him thou lovest,
He's ever at thy side;
Reach out thy hand and find Him,
and lo, the clouds have flown;
He smiles on thee who promised,
never to leave thee alone.
No never alone no never alone
He promised never to leave me
Never to leave me alone
No never alone no never alone
He promised never to leave me
Never to leave me alone
He promised never to leave me
Never to leave me alone alone
Never alone
(Those were the days when we sang all the verses of a song, no matter how many there were. 😂)
FINDING SOLITUDE:
So, recognizing that loneliness and solitude are very different, and that being lonely doesn't mean I'm all alone, what can I do to find those moments of solitude? How can I disconnect from my frenzied and sometimes frightening world and find that special "En Gedi" about which I wrote a few letters back -- a place with the spiritual fragrance of flora, the quenching of cool waters, and the shade of swaying palms? Does it just happen automatically, or do I have to work for it? Do I have to schedule it, or does it just creep up on me unexpectedly?
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you must be prepared to recognize and embrace solitude when it does come. Whether planned or spontaneous, there are some things you can do that will help those times occur, and when they do, help you to recognize and embrace them. Let me just mention a few:
1. Look For The Little Solitudes. Richard Foster gave suggestions for developing the spiritual discipline of solitude in his classic, Celebration of Disciplines. Among other things, Foster recommended taking advantages of those brief "little solitudes" that take place throughout a typical day -- those unexpected moments of silence and/or waiting. They are much like a coffee break or a pause between assignments. The average day is filled with them. When you are between tasks, when you sit down to rest your back, or even when you need to "take a potty break", use the occasion to take a deep breath, lean back, and just contemplate and enjoy the Lord's presence. He hadn't left in the first place; you just needed a break to be reminded -- "I'm still here."
2. Find it In Your Times With God. Foster also mentioned the obvious -- find a quiet place and quiet time to spend in solitude with God and His Word. While solitude will be magnified through prayer and reading the Bible, they are no necessarily the same thing as solitude. Prayer and time in God's Word can be both the precursor and the postscript to solitude, but the word solitude itself implies silence and inactivity. Having said that, one of the most ideal times to practice solitude is when you have made the decision to pray or read God's Word. But, somewhere within those disciplines, you need some time to "be still".
3. Sit Down and Keep Quiet. Scripture tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). Interestingly, the Hebrew word for "be still" is raw-faw' in the English alphabet, and it means, "Cease striving!". It means to "abate, cease, forsake". In other words, whatever it is that you're doing -- or saying, -- stop! Stop walking and stand still! Stop talking and be quiet! Stop rushing and sit down! Take a break!!! The world will go on without you. Disconnect for a few minutes or a half-hour or so, and just -- contemplate!
4. Get Out In Nature. If the heavens indeed declare the glory of God (Ps 19:1), the trees of the fields clap their hands (Isa 55:12), the lilies of the fields manifest His glory (Mt 6:28), and "all nature sings" (This Is My Father's World), then it seems pretty obvious that taking time for a walk, a hike, a scenic drive, a quiet sit in the park, a visit to an arboretum, or other such activities will do much to help you find times and places of solitude where you can commune with God without saying a word, and bask in His presence by viewing the evidence. In such ventures, I strongly urge you to at least three or four times a year, make it a day or more in duration. You need time to get away from it all and be spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and relationally recharged and refreshed.
5. Engage in the Arts: If you are somehow creative -- which I am not -- create or observe things from the arts -- painting, music, poetry, etc. I have taken my turns at writing -- even music and poetry -- and when I do I sometimes discover that time of solitude. On rare occasions I have sensed God's presence as I tried my hand at poetry. Most are total flops, but a few -- such as a poem, "Time Says It Is So", I wrote to Jo Ann for our wedding anniversary many years ago. I've even thought at times about trying my hand at painting, but suspect I'd find more frustration than solitude. As a musician, though, I do find great solitude in listening to contemplative worship music. I also find myself in a very pensive mood when I read poetry. It becomes even more special when I find them having merged beautifully together.
The revered composer and conductor, Ralph Carmichael, wrote a very special "semi-poetic" praise chorus in 1969 entitled, "There Is A Quiet Place". While I was unable to find the story behind the song, the words (and music, if you know it) illustrate how God can draw us into a place of solitude -- a quiet state of mind wherever you might be -- where you become keenly and quietly aware of just how good God really is. He wrote, . . .
There is a quiet place,
Far from the rapid pace,
Where God can soothe my troubled mind.
Sheltered by tree and flow'r,
There, in my quiet hour with Him,
My cares are left behind.
Whether a garden small,
Or on a mountain tall,
New strength and courage there I find.
Then from this quiet place
I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind.
Fortunately, as Richard Foster added in his book, even if we are in the middle of a stressful and noisy day, if we have hearts intent on hearing and heeding God’s Word and seeing God’s presence in the world around us, we can develop a spirit of solitude.
FINALLY:
Finding a good way to end today has not been easy. Perhaps the best way would be to let the revered Charles Spurgeon speak to our hearts.
"There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. . . . Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word. They love the wheat, but they do not grind it; they would have the corn, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it; the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly deliver us, O Lord. . . . "
Take courage, pilgrim partner; you're not alone. You'll rediscover His presence in your solitude, and will discover that He's been there all the time, and had never left in the first place. The noise of your world had just drowned out His whisper to you.
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
>>> To access past "Shoulders" letters, listed by date and number, go to https://welovegod.org/guide/forums/forum/shoulders/ <<<
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
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Copyright January, 2023
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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