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Christ and the Twelve Take a Vacation
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for in this way personal piety is neglected and soul and body are
overtaxed. Self-denial is required, but care must be exercised lest
Satan take advantage of human weakness, and the work of God be
marred.
As activity increases and men become successful in doing any
work for God, there is a tendency to pray less and to have less faith.
We lose sight of our dependence on God and seek to make a savior
of activity. It is Christ’s power which does the work. We must
take time for meditation, prayer, and study of the Word. Only the
work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of
Christ, will in the end prove efficient for good.
Never Too Busy to Talk With God
No other life was so crowded with labor as was that of Jesus;
yet how often He was found in prayer! Again and again are found
records such as these: “Rising up a great while before day, He went
out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” “Great
multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their
infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and
prayed.” “And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a
mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Mark
1:35
;
Luke 5:15, 16
;
6:12
.
The Saviour found it necessary to turn aside from a life of cease-
less activity and contact with human needs to seek unbroken com-
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munion with His Father. As one with us, He was wholly dependent
on God. In the secret place of prayer He sought divine strength that
He might go forth braced for duty and trial. Jesus endured struggles
and torture of soul. In communion with God He could unburden
the sorrows that were crushing Him. As a man, He supplicated the
throne of God till His humanity was charged with a heavenly current
that should connect humanity with divinity. He received life from
God that He might impart life to the world. His experience is to be
ours.
If today we would take time to go to Jesus and tell Him our needs,
we should not be disappointed. He is the Wonderful Counselor. We
are invited to ask wisdom of Him. He “giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not.”
Isaiah 9:6
;
James 1:5
.