Priorities (Luke 4:42)

And when day came, He departed and went to a lonely place; and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. (Luke 4:42 NASB)

In the preceding verses, a spontaneous healing service had begun (probably outside Simon's mother-in-law's house) at sunset. Jesus turned no one away, and Scripture tells us that ALL with any who were sick brought them. It suggests he dealt with a crowd of sick people. It's not clear how long the service lasted, but at daybreak, He headed out. Jesus needed time with His Father, and He headed to a quiet place where He could be alone. It didn't matter that He had a rough Sabbath yesterday, that He had been up late (possibly all night), or that He was exhausted. The source of His power, strength, and perseverance came from that quiet time, and He was not about to miss it. It took precedence over everything else, including the accolades and demands of the crowds. 

It was a matter of PRIORITY.  He knew what was most important, and He did it. There was no whining about how tired He was, how much He had to do, or how many people were making demands on Him, nor did those things deter Him. He needed time with His Father and He took that time. Because He did, we never see the consequences of missed quiet times in His life. 

We do see the consequences of missed quiet times of prayer and Bible study in our own lives, though, don't we? How diligent are you about being still with the Father? How faithful are you to be quiet enough to hear the Still Small Voice in your heart?  If our loved ones are to see the evidence of following Christ in our lives, we must actually follow Him and the example He set. That example begins with making time with the Father our highest priority. 

Today, pray for a clear understanding of your present priorities, a godly reordering where needed, and the fruit of time alone with God to be evident in your life. Pray, too, that our loved ones will begin a priority restructuring of their own and that they will begin to have regular times of prayer and Bible study that become an ongoing way of life.