Epistle for November 30, 2007
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E-pistle
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 30, 2007
The Spiritual Significance of Solitude
Psalm 46:10, 19:14, 77:6
Dr. Curt Scarborough
(written August of 1995)
Our daughter, Karol, was a pre-schooler when we moved to the Water
Tower Baptist Church in St. Louis. Soon she started asking when she would
be old enough to ask Jesus to come into her heart. I told her to listen carefully,
and God would tell her when the time was right. Her childlike response has
stuck with me for over 30 years. "The preacher talks so loud, and you sing so
loud, I can't hear God!"
Consider the spiritual significance of silence and solitude. Jesus
recommended praying and fasting in the secret place, Matthew 6:6, 18.
David wrote, "be still and know that I am God," Psalm 46:10. His "blessed"
man in Psalm 1 "meditates in the law of the Lord day and night." David
prayed that the meditations of his heart would be acceptable in God's sight
(Psalm 19:14), and Psalm 77:6 says "I call to remembrance my song in the
night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit ponders diligently."
Paul lists a number of virtuous things in Philippians 4:8, admonishing,
"think on these things." Joshua's marching orders for conquering Canaan
included the command to meditate daily, Joshua 1:8.
The first biblical mention of any concept usually is significant and
instructive. Genesis 24:63 is the first time a person is said to meditate.
"Issac went out to meditate in the field in the evening," and that place
was called Beer Lahai Roi . . . "The Well of the God Who Sees."
Several times the Gospels tell of Jesus departing to be alone to pray
(Matthew 14:23; John 6:15; etc.) He spent all night alone in prayer before
choosing the Twelve, Luke 6:12, 13. And in Gethsemane, He left the Disciples
to watch and pray while He went alone farther into the olive grove to spend
time in solitude, communing with the Father, Matthew 26:39.
How significant is solitude in the life of a person who is dedicated to
serving God? Almost without exception, great characters of the Bible had
their life-changing encounters with God during periods of solitude. This was
true of Enoch, Samuel, and Elijah; of Abraham, David and Ezekiel; of Moses,
Joshua, and Isaiah; of Peter, Paul and John.
The benefits of solitude are three-fold:
I. Communion
God's presence is experienced, and man worships. This is the
pattern. So it was in solitude that "Enoch walked with God;
and he was not, for God took him," Genesis 5:24. In solitude
the boy Samuel first experienced God's presence as he heard
his name called out of the darkness, I Samuel 3:10.
The great prophet Elijah experienced the peak of his spiritual
communion with God, not on Mount Carmel, but in solitude.
Outside a cave, the Lord manifested Himself . . . not in the wind,
earthquake, or fire . . . but in "still small voice," I Kings 19:12.
2. Covenant
As the Father's promises are received, and as fulfillment of
those promises are expectantly anticipated, man responds in
faith and love. So it was in solitude that God cut the blood
covenant with Abraham and "horror and great darkness fell
upon him," Genesis 15:18.
In solitude, David heard from God. Many great songs of worship
and praise, of faith and hope flowed from the pen of this unique
Shepherd-King. The everlasting covenant promise, fulfilled in
the Son of David, the Messiah, no doubt came to this "sweet
singer of Israel" as he spent countless days and nights in solitude
tending sheep on the hillsides.
The prophet Ezekiel, during his numerous retreats in solitude,
heard and saw visions of Almighty God too wonderful to articulate
or understand. But in Ezekiel 37, we can comprehend some of
the truths of his "dry bones" experience . . . and the clear
covenant promise that God's breath, the wind of the Holy Spirit,
will come to bring life, v. 10.
3. Commission
As God's purpose is explained, man responds to this revealed
divine destiny with excitement and dedication. God's commission
answers man's burning question, "Why am I here?" Most often,
God's vision of destiny for our lives is seen, not in the midst of a
great revival meeting, but in a secluded, solitary place.
So it was in solitude that Moses saw the burning bush and
discovered God's destiny for him. From that day forward (with
a few exceptions) Moses was surrounded by thousands of
people . . . rebellious, contrary, griping people. But for 40 years
he led them because of the commission he'd received in that
solitary, desert place where the bush burned but was not
consumed, Exodus 3:2.
In solitude Joshua was commissioned to enter and conquer
the Promised Land, beginning with Jericho. Alone, he
encountered The "Commander of the Army of the Lord," who
explained his divine destiny. So, "Joshua fit the battle of
Jericho, and the walls cam tumblin' down!" (Joshua 5-6)
Isiah's vision of the Lord "sitting on a throne high and lifted
up," (Isaiah 6:1), no doubt came when he was alone, In
solitude he heard the question, "Whom shall I send?" And he
responded, accepting his great call to destiny, "Here am I!
Send me!"
Quickly fast forward into the New Testament
In solitude on a roof top Peter experienced communion with God, heard
God's promise of salvation to all without respect to nationality, and followed his
destiny as the first Apostle to take the Great Commission outside the Jewish
nation, Acts 10:15.
In solitude in Arabia, Paul communed with the Risen Christ, received
a theological education on God's covenant for all nations, and accepted his
commissioned destiny as the Apostle to the Gentiles, Galatians 1:15-17.
In solitude on the isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:9), John communed
with and worshiped the glorified Christ. He saw the final fulfillment of God's
promises, and he wrote in great detail of God's destiny for believers and
unbelievers.
Final personal word: This past decade of my life has been more
productive and enjoyable than all the 50 preceding years combined. WHY?
Because I've discovered late in life the true spiritual significance of solitude.
Now I spend a significant portion of my mornings (3 or 4 hours, usually) in
solitude . . . studying the Word, meditating, praying, and listening for the
"still small voice."
My recommendation to all ministers is that we jealously guard
our quiet time of solitude . . . abiding alone with the Lord. Consider the
tremendous benefits of Jesus' invitation in Mark 6:31, "Come aside by
yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile." It's there we can fully
experience the rest He offered in Matthew 11:28-30.
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
By: Harvey Mackay
Practice makes perfect. Not true. You have to add one word: PERFECT
practice makes perfect.
I wish that I had coined that phrase, but I didn't. Legendary pro-football
coach Vince Lombardi did. Practice something time and again and, if you don't
know what you are doing, all you are really doing is perfecting errors.
For example, a golfer can go out and play eight days a week. He can
practice eight days a week. And if he doesn't know what he is doing, all he is
really doing is perfecting errors . . . eight days a week! I have studied Russian,
Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic, and, quite frankly, people think I am a heck of
a linguist. Actually, I am a lot slower learner than most of the students with
whom I started my language classes. But there is one marked difference: I
finished. They didn't. In Japanese, it might take 200 hours of practice. Russian
300 hours. Mandarin (Chinese) 400 hours. But eventually that breakthrough
occurs.
It's kind of like a stonecutter hammering away at a rock 100 times
without denting it. And yet on the 101st blow, the rock splits in two. And it
wasn't the last blow that did it, but the 100 before it. If you're not willing to
practice . . . and practice until you get it right . . . you will never make the 100
blows that make the breakthrough on the next one. Whatever you do, you can
be better at it if you just keep on learning.
MACKAY'S MORAL: All the world's a stage, and most of us need more rehearsals!
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