This Week: Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman
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                              He went up on a mountainside by himself. (Matthew 14:23)

ne of the blessings of the old-time Sabbath day was the calmness, restfulness, and holy peace that came from having a time of quiet solitude away from the world. There is a special strength that is born in solitude. Crows travel in flocks, and wolves in packs, but the lion and the eagle are usually found alone.

Strength is found not in busyness and noise but in quietness. For a lake to reflect the heavens on its surface, it must be calm. Our Lord loved the people who flocked to him, but there are numerous accounts in the Scriptures of His going away from them for a brief period of time. On occasion He would withdraw from the crowd and quite often would spend His evenings alone in the hills. Most of His ministry was performed in the towns and cities by the seashore, but He loved the hills more and at nightfall would frequently seclude Himself in their peaceful heights.

The one thing we need today more than anything else is to spend time alone with our Lord, sitting at His feet in the sacred privacy of His blessed presence. Oh, how we need to reclaim the lost art of meditation! Oh, how we need “the secret place” (Ps. 91:1 KJV) as part of our lifestyle! Oh, how we need the power that comes from waiting upon God!

It is good to live in the valley sweet,
   Where the work of the world is done,
Where the reapers sing in the fields of wheat,
   And work till the setting of the sun.
But beyond the meadows, the hills I see
   Where the noises of traffic cease,
And I follow a Voice who calls out to me
   From the hilltop regions of peace.

Yes, to live is sweet in the valley fair,
   And work till the setting of the sun;
But my spirit years for the hilltop’s air
   When the day and its work are done.
For a Presence breathes o’er the silent hills,
   And its sweetness is living yet;
The same deep calm all the hillside fills
   As breathed over Olivet.

Every life that desires to be strong must have its “Most Holy Place” (Exodus 26:33) into which only God enters.

December 4th  ||  Pages 444-445
Copyright © 1997 Zondervan

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Topic: Daily Devotionals