Getting Away

After preaching this past weekend I realized that I, like many pastors, am great at giving advice but not so good at taking my own advice.
In the busyness of life it is often difficult to take time out of our lives; to meditate on the great mysteries of God.  Often when we face difficult decisions, are going through trial, or are feeling overwhelmed, rather than seeking solitude with God, we tend to push things aside, work longer, and fill up our days with worry and stress over whatever the situation is, rather than spending time seeking God.  Even when there is no apparent or imminent stressful situations in our lives, we still need to spend time with God, and so often we do not.
At our church we are supposed to take one day a month as a spiritual retreat day.  At previous churches I have pastored we have done this, but since coming back to Vegas I have not seemed to be able to find the time to do this with any consistency.
So yesterday I cut out of work early, booked a hotel room outside of town, threw my bible and an extra change of clothes in a bag and set off.
I must admit that in my current state of semi-singleness, it is easier for me to do this than it is for those who are living with their spouses and children.  Often in that situation, a spouse has to plan these days well in advance, but currently I am a little bit freer to do this, so I did.
I spent several hours wandering the desert, hiking to a rocky outcropping, sitting in silence watching the highway far in the distance, just letting God speak into my soul.
Later that night after it was too dark to be out in the desert alone (without a gun) I sat in my hotel room and began to read through Romans and then Galatians.
It is amazing how much clearer the Bible becomes when you read it after spending time in solitude, when your mind is clearer, when you are not constantly focused on the next "thing" to be done.
I slept well that night, was up early this a.m., and back at my desk feeling much better and far more focused than I have for a few weeks.

Don't disengage with the spiritual disciplines of solitude, silence, meditation, and Bible reading.  Do whatever you need to do to create the physical, emotional, and mental space for God to reveal His Word and His plans to you.

This is one of the first steps to deeper discipleship.