Renewed, refreshed, and ready

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Take care of yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days …” Luke 4:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Renewed, refreshed, and ready”

When it comes to creating the right conditions to facilitate emotional, mental, and spiritual nurture, I cannot overemphasize the importance of quiet time and getting alone with God. This is such a critical factor, and it is so needed, that we will spend several days exploring the subject.

In Luke chapter four Jesus needed a time of preparation for the ministry God had for Him. So, the Spirit of God led Him out into the wilderness for a time alone. It was during that time that He prayed, fasted, dealt with Satan, and was strengthened in His spirit. At the end of that time, we read in verse 14, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit …” He was renewed, refreshed, and ready.

Many of you are familiar with story of how, just as Billy Graham’s ministry was getting started, he had doubts and concerns and he was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. So, he withdrew to the wilderness. In his case it was to a Christian camp called “Forrest Home” in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. There, alone with God deep in the woods, Billy found the clarity and the assurance he needed to go forward with the ministry assignment God had for him. Like Jesus coming out of the wilderness, Billy returned renewed, refreshed, and ready.

I was fortunate enough to have had a similar experience, at Forest Home, in the exact spot where Billy Graham met with God decades earlier. As a new pastor I too had questions and concerns, and I too was struggling with my call from God. I was living and ministering in Southern California at the time, not far from Forest Home. So, I went there on a personal retreat and discovered that there is now a beautiful little chapel in the woods located at the exact spot where Billy Graham had his encounter with the Lord all those years earlier. I was able to sit alone, in that chapel, as the Lord and I worked through my issues. And yes, I too returned renewed, refreshed, and ready.

Quiet time alone with God is a critical factor in creating the space and conditions for mental, emotional, and spiritual nurture to occur. So much so, that we will continue our thinking about it tomorrow. For now, I encourage you to spend some time alone with God this morning. Doing so will quiet your mind and soothe your soul.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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