Show Notes
READ: MARK 1:29-39; LUKE 5:1-16
I grabbed a yellow blanket and stormed out into the breezy summer day. I was nine years old and fed up. Fed up with our big family, our small house, and all the frustration with my little brother, who I’ll call Bradley. I’d decided right then to run away from home. The blanket was just an afterthought. As I stomped down the steps, Bradley caught up to me.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m running away!” I shouted.
“Wait for me! I’ll come with you!”
He turned back to the house (to grab his own blanket, maybe) before I could tell him I wanted to run away from him, not with him. Just then I heard Mama yell, “Lunch time!” I sighed, turning back to the house. Today was not the day to run away.
In time, I learned more about myself: I get recharged by alone time. Then I’m energized to interact with others. Instead of running away from home that morning Bradley bugged me, I just needed some time by myself.
Jesus never ran away from people the way I attempted at age nine. But He did recognize the need to withdraw from the crowds alone so He could be refreshed in prayer and fellowship with the Father. Christ’s ministry required much from Him, and He understood the importance of stepping away from the busyness for focused moments of intimacy with His Father.
Once we begin a relationship with God by trusting in the work of Christ—dying for our forgiveness and then arising to give us new life—we can enjoy fellowship with the Father too. Our lives may demand much from us, and many of these commitments may even be good. But God calls us to remember that the most important thing is to enjoy our close connection with Him. Besides, we can only love others well when we are receiving God’s abundant love for us—and then letting that love overflow to others (John 15:5; 1 John 4:19). We—like Jesus—must set aside time to receive God’s renewal by spending personal time with Him. • Allison Wilson Lee
• As humans, we all need time alone. Even more, we need time alone with God in His Word. Thankfully, once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, God is always with us. So we can turn our attention to His presence any time. When you think about spending time with God, how does that feel? Intimidating, confusing, burdensome? Consider taking a moment to honestly tell God about how you feel and ask Him to give you a glimpse of how good time alone with Him can be.
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12 (NIV)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)