Scripture Verse: After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. Matthew 14:23 AMP
Bible Reading: Mark 1:35; Mark 6:31; Mark 6:45-46
This week’s set of devotionals is taken from Mind Gum: Devotions for Men by Todd Stahl and Joe Amaral. Used with permission.
Plain and simple, Jesus craved the cave.
Walking up a mountainside path to a place where He could spend time in prayer and be alone was not only a necessity but a well-known habit documented many times in the Bible.
What habits do you have that leave an imprint of who you are?
Stephen King, the famous author, ate a slice of cheesecake each time he sat down to begin writing. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, had the strange habit of bathing only once a week.
How about you?
We have so many habits in our daily routine. Get up, have a shower, grab a coffee, commute the same route to work. Pizza night on Thursday, cut the lawn on Saturday morning, head to church on Sunday. Repeat.
Throughout Scripture, we read how Jesus needed to retreat from the crowds and demands to take time to refuel and recharge. Luke 5:15-16 says, “But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”
Jesus recognized He had to retreat to spend time with the Father. He came back from those times with answers and a rejuvenation to meet the needs of the people.
As men in this fast-paced world, we make time for so many activities. We set up our calendars based on our priorities and daily routines. We hesitate to schedule anything else because we are already jammed to capacity.
We need to recognize nobody was busier than Jesus, yet He made “cave time” a priority.
We must make daily devotion time a habit. Set a reminder on your phone until it becomes a time in your day that you cannot live without. You wouldn’t think of eating just one meal a week, so why do we think one Sunday in church a week is enough of the Bible? It sounds ridiculous, yet that is what we do, and we wonder why we are spiritually starving.
We need more. Just as food nourishes and strengthens our body, we need spiritual food to nourish our mind and soul.
Take a lesson from Jesus today. He craved the cave. Watch and see how a few minutes a day in your cave with God will change your life.
Prayer: Lord, help me to carve out time in my “cave” where I can meet with You. Make these meeting times fruitful and powerful as I seek You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: What does your daily “cave time” look like? What is going well? Where could it stand to be strengthened? What steps need to be taken to do this?
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