1I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” 2But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. 3The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, …
Out of the Chaos
Inspiration for living outside of the chaos.
I use words all day long. Even when I am alone, I use words to communicate with God and to fight not yet encountered situations in my mind. So, even when my vocal chords are not producing audible sound, words run through my head. They communicate everything I need others to know and many things …
The most vivid example of Jesus withdrawing to pray is in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. It is here that we see the most vulnerable expression of his humanity firmly tethered to his unwavering determination to accomplish the salvation of the world. 41He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and …
Jesus sought solitude before he began his ministry. He spent an entire night in prayer before he chose his twelve disciples. He trained his disciples to rest along the way as he taught them to take the gospel to all nations. Jesus, also, often withdrew just to pray. Not before a big decision, not to …
Jesus is the perfect example of excellent self-care. He worked hard, ministered tirelessly, withdrew regularly. His first time in solitude was extended, forty days to be exact. He did that to prepare himself for public ministry. Emerging from the wilderness, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit to powerfully proclaim that the kingdom of God …
Jesus often withdrew by himself to solitary places to pray. He is an example to follow as I make my way through the chaos of life, asking myself, “Am I willing to depart from ordinary life to seek direction in prayer?” Yesterday I noted that before Jesus began his public ministry, he spent 40 days …
Solitude and silence are not easy things to choose. Five years ago, I drove to Kentucky to a monastery and spent five days in silent retreat. I read; I journaled; I attempted to learn to draw; I attended the daily hours of prayer; I walked; I slept. It was during a difficult time in our …
11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. . . . 18I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I …
The story of the prodigals is told in Luke 15. Jesus uses the story to expose the self-righteous behavior of the religious people contrasted with the lavish, reckless, unconditional love of the Father for those who have wandered away. The cliff notes version of the story can be found in Tuesday’s blog post. The older …
In the story of the Prodigal Son which I believe would be more aptly named the Prodigal Father, there are three characters. There is the father who owns a large estate and two sons. You can read the whole story in Luke 15 or check out yesterday’s post for the Cliff Notes version. The outstanding …
Out of the Chaos 