Devotionals for the Heart: When you need time away and alone with God

Get Away with God
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. –Mark 6:31 (NLT)

With an audible sigh I plopped myself into the seat of the plane and buckled my seatbelt.

In the flurry of the past week spent preparing for a 10-day vacation, I felt like I hadn’t had a moment to breathe. Running errands, packing suitcases, making arrangements for the pet sitter, planning for projects to be covered at work, making lists and checking them twice—the last week had disappeared into a vapor of busyness. If I was honest with myself, the last few months hadn’t been much different. White space in my calendar had been diminishing as rapidly as my ability to say no. My commitments continued to climb, carrying my stress levels and anxiety along with it. There was no denying this time away was desperately needed.

Our lives are often so full that we even have difficulty finding time, or choosing to make time, to spend with Jesus. We have so many obligations and people clamoring for our attention, it can be hard to feel there is room to dedicate a portion of our day to God. But these are the times when we need that daily connection to our Savior more than ever. When we take even a few sacred moments to spend in His presence in the midst of our busy day, He will meet us there. He can pour peace into our minds and download deep truths into our hearts that can help us manage the madness of an overcommitted calendar, a harried heart, or a troubled spirit.

In the Bible, Jesus made a regular example of getting away from the hustle and bustle of His daily grind and we should too. Unplugging from our routines, from social media, from overwhelmed schedules and overworked minds and bodies, shouldn’t just be reserved for special vacations or holidays. They should be a part of our regular rhythms, “rhythms of grace” that The Holy Bible tells us should be “unforced”. Let’s read about it in Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG): “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

God invites us to rest that is real and restorative. Rest that helps us recover a life where we can exist freely and lightly, unburdened by the demands of the world. He draws us to a place where we can abide in His presence and abound in His provision for our bodies, minds and souls.

Friends, in the days when you feel you can’t find a minute to catch your breath or don't even have time to eat, ask God to give you the grace to find a few moments to slip away alone in His presence. God will speak volumes to a heart that is open to his truth—even over the hustle and bustle of your busiest days. And at the end of it you may find the promise of Acts 3:19 (TPT) fulfilled, “times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence”.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for always setting the example for how we can live the abundant life that You've promised us. Help us to remember that busyness isn't always productive, particularly when it squeezes out time spent with You. Having and doing more rarely leads to accomplishment, fulfillment, or even contentment unless it’s having more of or doing more for You. When our lives begin to tumble out of control let us heed Your gentle invitation to get away with You to a quiet place to reset, restore and replenish. You created us with a natural need and desire for relationship with You. Let us never neglect the nourishment that comes from time spent in Your presence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Make Room” by Jonathan McReynolds. Listen to this song here.

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Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him.

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

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Connect with Cyndi on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/