Camp Meeting Devotions - Day Thirty-Four

 Mark 1:35 (NASB)

³⁵  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.

Many times we have sung the words to the old hymn In The Garden. 

I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, 

And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses,

He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing, 

And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing,

I'd stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go through a voice of woe His voice to me is calling. 

                                                                        - C. Austin Miller

Time alone with God is one of the most fundamental things all believers are called to do to maintain a close fellowship with the LORD. There are no short cuts. Day in and day out devotions are critical to stay on the right path. There is nothing secretive about it. There is not a formula for instant success. It is time alone with God where we grow in our love and mature in our faith. Day after day, week after week, and year after year. 

A recent study showed where 32% of Americans responded that they read their Bibles everyday. That means 68% do not. Where do we fall in that survey. Among the 32% who do not make the time for meaningful Bible reading on a daily basis? We have to intentionally make the time. It does not just happen. In many ways we are as close to God as we want to be. If we choose to forsake personal time with Him, we should not be surprised if we do not feel the fire burning in our souls. Even when we do make time for God regularly, we can fall into a routine and yet miss out on the God encounters hurrying through devotions to get onto more important matters. 

God waits to encounter us. He wants to be known and discovered. Do we want to know and discover Him? How we prioritize our time may speak much louder than our words. If Jesus carved out time alone with God during his busy earthly ministry, how much more should we?

• Are you among the few 32% who daily read your Bible?
• On a scale of 1-10 where would you rate your walk with God currently?
• Take assessment of your time commitments. Does your schedule reveal anything about your current spiritual condition?
• Ask God renew your desire to spend time with Him.