while it was still dark

"And rising very early in the morning,

while it was still dark,

he [Jesus Christ] departed and went out to a desolate place,

and there he prayed."

Mark 1:35

I don't know about you, but I love to sleep. Often, this creates a bit of a conundrum, especially in the dark, cold, winter mornings. It is not unusual for me to lie in bed and between my nine minute snooze sessions, rationalize why it is ultimately to my benefit to linger in the sanctuary of my bed. 

As we take a moment to look at the example of Jesus Christ, we see him rising while it is yet night and intentionally meeting God in a desolate place to pray. Initially it is easy to think, "well, He is after all God--of course He would rise early to pray...." when in reality, the Bible says that He was in every way tempted as we are (Hebrews 4:15), yet He remained sinless. I am certain that after pulling those long nights of teaching, healing and shepherding (is that even a word?) that the morning came all too quickly at times. Let's not forget that although He was in every way God (Philippians. 2:6-8), He was still confined to the agonies of a human body. A body that undoubtedly begged for a nine minute snooze...just one more time...before the pressures of the day stared Him in the eye. 

As I was reading this, it struck me a different way this time. The verse itself is referring to darkness as it relates to the time of day. I believe that it can also mean darkness of sadness, grief or weariness. Often times, we wait for God to pull us from our pit first, then worship and pursuit follow. It is easy to blame God for the darkness, but if you read His Word, you will see that where the Spirit of God is darkness has to flee (Psalm 139:11). I would encourage you, if you feel like darkness is covers you like a garment, I would encourage you to meet God there. In the desolate place that your soul often abides, reach out, touch His heart and let His heart touch yours. 

My prayer for us this morning, is that we would be intentional about meeting with Jesus today regardless of where we are or where we have been. Does it have to be early morning? No. The Bible often refers to this because it signifies (I believe anyway) the ranking of priorities and the desire of our heart. For me, if I don't take the time in the morning to prepare myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the day, it is not going to matter if I got an extra 18 minutes of rest. When I allow His presence to renew my heart and mind, His Spirit of Rest covers me and lingers throughout the day. Take time to meet with Him. Be intentional. Seek Him as though you are searching for a precious child lost in the chaos of a large crowd...for this is exactly how God has pursued us. 

Blessings to you today dear friend!

<><tce