Thanks for joining us on this journey of building a consistent habit of reading our Bibles every day. The Bible reading plan we are using this year can be found here: One Year Bible or here on the Bible app. As always, if you miss a day, don’t feel compelled to go back and catch up. Just skip it and start back on today’s date. I am reading the NLT this year, but feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Now here are some thoughts from today’s readings:
After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
– Matthew 14:23
Matthew 14 tells a story of Jesus trying to get away, alone with God. But the crowds follow Him, and He stops His pursuit of alone time with God to minister to the people some more. This happens to us as believers too. There can be so much work and ministry to do that we end up having to skip our alone time with God.
But that’s not what Jesus did. The crowd did interrupt His pursuit of alone time, but as soon as He got them all gone, He continued His pursuit. Many would have relaxed, thinking the miraculous God moments they had just experienced was good enough, but Jesus knew there was no substitute for alone time with God. Let this be a lesson for us too. Don’t let ministry, or good works, or any kind of business keep us from alone time with God. It matters more than anything in our lives. Though we may be diverted at times, let our pursuit of His presence always be our number one aim.