Jesus found time to be alone with God in all seasons, from when He was the center of attention at a crusade to when the mob was planning to kill Him (Mark 6:46; 14:32-35).
I attribute my present flourishing to Centering Prayer. I have read the Bible each year for decades, prayed through lists, studied, and served others. I flourished then too, but our journey to heaven is cyclical.
God designs tests and training in increasing intensities to prepare us for His purposes.
In 2016 I was struggling to find my way forward. On January 1, 2017, I decided to add Centering Prayer to my spiritual discipline and that I would sit quietly with God for at least 20 minutes per day until something changed. As my appreciation for God and life increased, I increased my “quiet time” with God to 30 minutes per day and then 40. In April 2018, I signed up for an App that played nature sounds that reminded me of a wilderness region in the Canadian North.
I found that 30 quiet minutes a day with God, plus Bible reading, study, and praying through lists, is a good balance of getting spiritually filled up enough to last all day.
The App tracks my Centering Prayer time. I add 400 days or 140 hours to estimate how long I have been at this since I started on January 1, 2017.
I find it helps when I expect things to get better over time. In the biblical examples, people who followed God wholeheartedly were thrown into desert experiences or suffered various levels of hardship. The reward went to those who courageously walked with God through their situations, and on to greater challenges.
Which covenant did Adam violate, according to Hosea 6:6-7? When God came to talk to Adam and Eve, He found out they wanted to judge others (Gen. 3:8-13).
God still wants to work through people to manage this awesome planet (Gen. 1:26-30).
Jesus came to show people His plan. Live your life. Walk with God. Help your people (family, neighbors, enemies, and all who cross your path) connect to God (Matt. 5:44; Lk 10:25-37).
Four Hundred Years?
Have you ever wondered about the 400 silent years between the time the last book of the Old Testament was written and Jesus arrived?
I have been thinking about this almost nonstop all week. The question followed me around in my thought life.
The Fullness of Time?
1. Jesus told His disciples. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15).
2. Paul noted, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” (Gal. 4:4a).
My Hypothesis
I think about the planet Earth and how awesome it is, filled with an almost infinite variety of life and mysteries.
I think of God letting it spin around the sun for 400 years between the last prophet and when He came to show His people the way.
Think of all the families, bad things, and good things that happened for years.
One day, at the perfect time, God had the ideal ambiance to train His next generation of leaders. There was sufficient brokenness and pain that enough people would desire to do whatever it took to connect to God’s love and then refocus their lives to help others learn this vastly superior way to live.
Then Jesus came as a servant leader. He spent His time walking with God and loving those around Him. Then, even though the whole planet was seething with fallen humanity, Jesus commissioned His people to go out and serve those around them (Matt. 18:18-20).
This slow plan includes joy, sorrow, and going through difficult situations to get to a better place.
Suggestions
1. Spend quality time alone with God every day.
2. Experiment with spiritual disciplines, and expect to flourish.
NOTE: Flourishing does not mean freedom from hardships. Think of Joseph when he made the right choice and got jailed. And Daniel got thrown into the lion’s den, and his friends were thrown into the furnace. Saul was furious at David because of David’s success at doing the right things. All these people thrived through their hardships and arrived at better places.
3. Don’t expect a quick rescue. Why would God be in a rush? He has the perfect ambiance to raise friends and leaders. God is raising leaders for the age to come. Focus on being one of those leaders. This means a) being the right person, b) treating others right, c) working on your triggers, and d) helping others connect directly to God.
4. God hopes you will keep coming to Him so He can bless people through you.
Isaiah 61: 5-6
5. Did you know the heavenly Jerusalem is a cube?
Its length and width, and height were each 1,400 miles. As a cubic dwelling place of God (21:22), John envisioned the New Jerusalem as the “holy of holies” in the Temple, which was also a cubic dwelling place of God (1 Kings 6:20).
Mulholland, M. R., Jr. (2011). Revelation. In P. W. Comfort (Ed.), Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation (p. 591). Tyndale House Publishers.
Rev. 21:23-26Your thoughts?
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