Scripture
Our verse for today comes from Luke 6:12, ” Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. “
Background
I’m almost certain that you have uttered the phrase, ” That’s just like old times, ” or something very similar to it. Growing up, it doesn’t take long to develop deep feelings and fond memories around the way you and your family do things. Without even trying, wonderful traditions and customs are birthed, and a spiritual connection seems to form around the people and the times. So when you are now able to get together or experience certain events or activities, your thoughts immediately drift back to the earlier days, when things were as they used to be. The time together now is enriched by its connection with the joyous memories of the past. Although there is no past or future for the Trinity, I still wonder if a part of Jesus was thinking, ” Ah, this is just like old times, ” when He went off to pray to His Father. That time alone, with just Him, the Father, and the Spirit, must have been akin to the sweet fellowship they shared from eternity past. And it didn’t matter that He had to be up all night. The time together was too precious, and too important.
Application
For directly after spending hours praying, Jesus had to go select the twelve men that He would entrust the church to. Perhaps that’s why they spent all night together. Maybe Jesus asked the Father, like He did in the Garden of Gethsemane, if there was any other way than having His own disciple send Him to the cross. Perhaps they double-checked their list, reviewed their entire design, or did some of the other things we ordinarily would do before a huge decision. We may never know. If Jesus had told us, we probably wouldn’t understand. But we do know they were together all night. And we know everything occurred just as planned, just as it needed to. There was no doubt, no regret, and no mistakes. Even as Judas grew into the man he was to be, Jesus could remember that night with the Father. God’s plan was secure. So go to Him now, not to double-check your list, but to get His. Spend the time with God Almighty, who has yet to blunder. Whose old times are made new every day.
Charge
As we seek Him today, ask God to draw you into Him for prayer. Ask Him to give your heart a burden to come to Him, to listen and to speak. Start making those old times a reality in your life.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
