Retreating for the Purpose of Pursuit Part 3

The Difficult Times

re·treat /rəˈtrēt/ | The act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy; retirement; seclusion.

pur·suit /pərˈso͞ot/ | The action of following or pursuing someone or something.

re·treat | Luke 22:39,41 39And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. ; 41And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed.

pur·suit | To commune with His Father; to plead with His Father and request for strength to bear the cup of the world's sins

Spring is here, time to get out and start reducing my waist line so I can stop lieing to my wife when I say, “No, my shorts fit perfectly fine, it is just a new fashion trend to keep my shorts unbuttoned.  You’ll see, everyone will be doing it, I am fashion forward!”  I was well on my way to digging myself out of that lie and running on the trails near my home ever day.

One rainy morning, I had 100 yards left of my run, and I was going to sprint it.  I was huffing like a grizzly bear exercising after being aroused from hibernation, and then it happened.  I stepped on a root and my ankle twisted underneath my body, breaking and displacing my fibula bone.  Although painful, I was proud of myself for only howling like an injured animal, an injured baby animal, instead of breaking into what my wife calls “Wheels Off Joshua”.  “Wheels Off Joshua” comes out when trying to put up a 4 x 12 piece of sheetrock on my basement ceiling all by myself, and not so pleasant words come out of my mouth (most of you know what I am talking about).  After breaking my ankle, I’ve found myself adding up all the painful things that were in front of me, surgery, doctors poking and prodding me, physical therapy and crawling up the stairs to take a one legged shower (which is both painful and humiliating).  Now, it is not the sins of the world, but it is an example of where I will need to find strength and perseverance that is enriched by the Spirit of the LORD.  It is hard to retreat with a broken ankle, but it is and will be necessary for me to do so in pursuit of the LORD.

In the end, it is the LORD’s Will that will be done.  However, even the creator retreated to pursue His Father to prepare Himself to live through the painful events that He knew would be coming up to fulfill the Messianic prophecy and God’s Will to fulfill His covenant with all of His creation.

Do you find yourself needing to retreat, because you have a stressful or painful road ahead?  Spend some time today emulating the character of Jesus the Christ.  Retreat for the purpose of pursuing the LORD today in the activities that you partake in. Let Him enable your strength and humble yourself to allow the LORD to carry you in this hard time.