Devotions from Gary Moon’s book, Apprenticeship with God

“There is a sense in which the secret to Jesus’ ministry is hidden in the lonely places where He goes to pray—often before dawn.” Henri Nouwen

In that lonely place, Jesus finds the courage to follow God’s will and not his own; to speak God’s words and not his own; to do God’s work and not his own.

Without a lonely place in our lives we are in danger. “Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening, speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place (solitude) our actions quickly become empty gestures.” 

There is a balance between silence and words, distance and closeness, withdrawal and involvement etc.

 We may find the “real me” is often hidden behind noise and chatter, and it is good to retreat from the noise of words.

 When we become quiet enough, we may find out our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared.

It is in silence that the door opens to communion with God.

Often in the silence we most clearly hear the whispers of God’s love and experience most deeply a sense of being His beloved.