Solitude: Examining the Condition of Our Heart
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32 NRSV
Series: Being with Jesus: Solitude and Silence Part 3
Devotional: 3 of 4
Last week, we considered what it looks like to find true rest in Jesus by intentionally making space for solitude and silence.
Today, we will consider a second experience that we are sure to encounter in the quiet place: Repentance.
Solitude is a place of rest and healing, but it is also a place of repentance. Day by day, as our mind and body learns to rest in Jesus, our trust in His goodness begins to grow. In this safe space, together with our Lord, we are free to allow the Holy Spirit to examine the condition of our hearts.
Psalm 91:1-2 assures us that those "who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.'"
In the stillness of solitude, our sins are brought out of the darkness and into the light. Here, our eyes are opened to what we were once blind to. Resting in God's love and trusting in His grace, we are free to allow the Holy Spirit to sift through the highs and lows of each new day.
Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (See Luke 5:32) In Christ, we are invited to turn from a life of self-reliance, acknowledging our total dependence on Him as Lord and Savior of our lives. Repentance may look different as we navigate the various seasons of life with Christ. However, here are two common sins that frequently need to be identified and uprooted in the quiet place alone with Jesus.
#1 - Anger: Rarely does a day go by that we do not have to choose whether we will be offended by the people or circumstances swirling around us. Unchecked offense turns into bitterness, and bitterness gives way to anger. Solitude provides a place for the anger that is bubbling up in our hearts to be repented of, cutting it off at the root before it has time to spread its poison. (See Ephesians 4:31-32 NRSV)
#2 - Pride: Proverbs 11:2 warns that "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but wisdom is with the humble." It is not a matter of if pride will well up inside of us, but a matter of when pride will come. As apprentices of Jesus, we must daily acknowledge the pride that is rapidly growing in our hearts. If we are willing to sit in the quiet moments of solitude and silence, the Holy Spirit will lovingly illuminate the pride in our hearts so that the sacrifice of our Lord can purify it.
"Lord Jesus, thank You for Your finished work on the Cross. Forgive us for the many ways we have fallen short of Your glory. In You, we are set free from our sins - past, present, and future. You alone are the Great Healer of our souls."
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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