It’s easy to choose exile, today. There is no one forcing us to walk into bondage. Yes, I know, we live in America, the land of the free, right? Then why is it that Americans enslave themselves to their own society, to their culture, to their schedules and to each others demands? The influences all around us can be so overwhelming, even if they are good. We succumb to its pressures instead of living by the word from Jeremiah 31:21, “Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway…”
The question that comes to my mind when I read these three words: roadmarks, guideposts, and highway is, “What are these in my life so that I am able to complete the rest of Jeremiah 31:21? “…Return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities.”
In this passage of Jeremiah, the Jews were headed to Babylon, into captivity. God instructed them to remember the route they took to Babylon because they were going to use the same route to return to their home. Israel had prostituted themselves to the culture of their day. God, being just, could have killed them, but instead He had determined to welcome His beloved back and forgive. Returning to their home meant forgiveness and a new start with God. This is His grace for Israel, and it is His grace for us, too.
We, like Israel, get easily distracted and swayed by our culture and schedules. We get off track and we miss God’s purposes for our lives. The question for us now is, “What’s the pathway back?”
Roadmark
A “roadmark” by Hebrew definition is “a guiding pillar and a distinguishing mark in the dry dessert.”
When I think of a desert, I envision a parched land that has nothing in it for miles and miles. But in the life of most Americans, our lives are hardly barren. However, the surplus of things, events, demands and duties drive our souls to this dry, empty desert that is drenched in despair and fatigue. So, what is the guiding pillar that can lead us back, help us return to our God and Father in Heaven? Solitude and Prayer!
Jesus in his busy life of preaching, healing, and casting out demons said to His disciples, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31). Notice in our passage of Jeremiah that it says “…set up for yourself…” This means we determine to put in place for ourselves a time of solitude and prayer from all the good we do. This solitude and prayer rights our perspective and keeps our purposes in life focused on God’s purposes not man’s demands.
Jesus in Mark 1:29-39 shows us this by example:
And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them. When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city had gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was. In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.
I can almost see the disciple’s shocked faces when Jesus did not respond with an urgency to meet the demands of “Everyone is looking for You.” Jesus was in the midst of healing and casting out demons. But in the middle of all this activity, Jesus had the self control to keep His perspective on what He came to earth for. He, “in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Prayer in a secluded place brings rest to our soul and direction to our life! Did Jesus heal everyone? No, He chose to do what He came for! This is a hard choice for those of us who want to accomplish it all and meet the needs of everyone who is hurting; it can also be a real challenge for those who can’t leave a project unfinished. Like Jesus, we must take time each day to go to that secluded place, away from it all, all people, all needs, children, chores, and demands and spend time in solo prayer. Praying with other people is good, but praying alone with our Heavenly Father is most needed. It becomes a time of just you and Him! The temptation of impressing others with how you pray or with what words you choose is removed. It’s just you and Him – real transparency!
Being silent in a noisy world is challenging. You might be wondering, “How do I get started? I am so distracted that I can barely focus, even when I am alone.”
I suggest that you take the first 10 minutes and be still, think about the Lord and begin to unload all that is on your mind to Him (you can do this in writing, out loud or silently in your mind).
Search for God in His word; meditate on a passage like Matthew 6:25-34 and then start to relax in His presence. Then turn to the book in the Bible that you have chosen to study. God will guide you and give you instruction as to what this day holds for you; do not get up until you have that direction. This could take 30 minutes or 3 hours. In those really desperate dry times of our lives, it could take all day, even a weekend away. The important thing to remember, is we need this regular time, if we are going to live in God’s will not our own or worse, in the will of others.
We have learned that our first start is the guiding pillar of roadmarks: solitude and prayer. But what is our guidepost?
Guideposts
By Hebrew definition, guideposts mean a “marker, signpost, high heap.” Guideposts are stark warning signs that serve much like a fever does to our bodies telling us that something is wrong and we need to address the issue before we get worse.
For me, guideposts are those times when I become irritable, forgetful, and anxious, usually due to over-commitment and fatigue. When my life is getting worse, I know it by how many “yes’s” and how many “no’s” I say. If my yes’s are growing, I’m on the path of over-commitment and I have lost my way. I need to return to my Father in Heaven and ask Him where I need to say “yes” and where I need to say “no” so that I am only doing what I came to earth for. Where do I do this? Again, Jesus said to His disciples:
"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (Mark 6:31).
Jesus instructed his disciples to not only come away to a secluded place of solitude, but to rest a while, too. Fatigue is a problem in America. Constant activity that continues to tire us out can lead to so many crises in our lives such as: depression, sickness, missed responsibilities; neglect of family relationships, the list goes on…
The Greek meaning of “rest” means “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength; it means to refresh, to keep quiet, be calm and develop patient expectation.”
Rest does not always mean to sleep, even though that is part of it. It means to have an inner calm that relaxes the mind, the soul and the body. Notice the progression in this Greek definition: cease - recover – collect – refresh – quiet – calm – patient expectation.
Ceasing all work, being still long enough gives us the time to recover from the labor we do so that we can collect the strength needed to continue God’s work in our lives. Refreshment provides spiritual guidance so that in our quiet time we can hear God speak to our calm heart, soul and mind. In this quiet calm state, we receive. We are able to develop that patient expectation for God’s presence, His purpose and His power in our lives. At the completion of this rest we are able to do what Jesus did in the midst of His busy activity of healing, preaching and casting out demons. With confidence we can claim our purpose and state this is what I came for.
Our roadmark is solitude and prayer. Our guideposts are the warning signs that we need rest. With these in place, our mind is now able to focus on the highway. What does this highway represent?
Highway
The Hebrew meaning for “highway” is simple: public road. Notice that the scripture says in Jeremiah 31:21 “direct your mind to the highway.” I used to think that “highway” meant God. But notice that the Hebrew meaning means “public road.” Once we have spent time in solitude, prayer and rest, we are then able to direct our minds to the public and start ministry again.
In Mark 1:29-39, Jesus did not remain in solitude, prayer and a state of rest. Once He was finished what did He tell His disciples?
"Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for." And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons.”
Jesus set His mind to the highway (public road), the place where the people needed to hear the Word of God, needed healing and rescuing from the evil one.
Christmas is one of many examples of a busy time. Anyone who already has a full life of ministry, family and work can attest that Christmas, like any other busy time, can throw our schedules into frenzy. It can be a blessed time, but it can also be a hectic time that even takes us away from Christ instead of drawing us near to Him.
I have heard myself say, “I love the birth of Christ, but I hate Christmas.” The busyness of Christmas can be a huge distraction and it can certainly rob us of our solitude, prayer life, and rest. It’s really the week after Christmas that becomes my best time of year. All the excitement, energy, planning, dinners, parties and gift giving are over. While I love the time spent with family and friends, the quiet in the home afterward is sweet with peace.
Interestingly, it was after the birth of Christ, that peace came into the world! Beforehand, Mary and Joseph were traveling on foot to Bethlehem, no place for them to stay because of the multitude of people bustling and hustling in the town, trying to find a placed to stay. It was after Jesus was born in that stable, where Mary wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger that the multitude of angels said to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14). Likewise, it is after the holiday that I experience the peace of Christ, a real benefit of knowing Him. I use to not be okay with the delay of this peace (after the holiday) until this year. I realized that the busyness before Christmas causes me to walk that hard road to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph. I have a greater appreciation for the peace that comes afterward. Just like the peace that came to Mary and Joseph afterward for a time, it comes to you and me, too. Amen?
Jesus did not instruct us to stop ministering to people, or to stop the busyness of life altogether. He did not say, “Stop life and be still forever.” That would encourage laziness. It would also go against His purpose in John 4:34: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” This is our food for each day, too. However, it is His work we are to accomplish, nothing else. To do His work may mean to leave projects unfinished, not meet every need we come across; it could mean to even take a new direction or persevere on the same hard track. Ultimately, it means a total surrender to His will not our own. And the only way to know His will is to return to Him via His pathway: solitude, prayer, rest, and ministry.
