2 Dec, 2009
Sometimes You Gotta Get Away
The Most Extreme and Isolated Places to Live in the World
We all go on vacation to relax, experience something new, get away from it all, or maybe to just evade the police. Whatever the reason, we can all understand that it's a good thing to have some time to ourselves in a location far-removed from our usual daily lives.
However, if you are indeed escaping from something (or someone), or maybe you just prefer the quiet life, you might be averse to choosing a vacation destination that's an overcrowded mess of people. Or perhaps you're even a recovering sociopath seeking a little isolation and have run out of ideas.
Not to fear, for we have here set before you a veritable banquet of remote travel destinations for you to feast your eyes upon. Places you can even visit if you're prepared to go to great lengths to get there, or maybe you'd rather marvel at why anyone in their right mind would want to live there.
Story provided by: tripbase.com.
Luke 5:15-16 (New Living Translation)
15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about solitude?
Jesus jumps onto the scene in Luke in a dynamic way – he heals a man with leprosy. This disease was one that didn't just destroy you physically; it got to you emotionally, and socially. A leper was forced away from their family and then out of the city where they would remain an outcast for the rest of their lives.
Jesus's simple words, "be healed" altered the leper's life in a big way, and Jesus's life from that day on. Luke paints this as one of Jesus first major miracles.
Jesus tells the leper not to tell anyone, but to quietly present himself to the priest (they were the only ones who could allow him back into society). Instead, the man told everyone and Jesus became even more famous.
At this point the writer interrupts the story to give us a look into Jesus's behavior. In the midst of the fame and everyone trying to reach him, Jesus made it a routine to slip away and spend time abiding with the Father.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
(I have to write this bide for myself today, but hopefully you can gain something from it as well.) It is really hard to get away in our world. We have instant access through our televisions, phones, and computers. As humans we don't necessarily like being alone. Yet here in this instant in scripture, in the fury of the moment, we find Jesus stepping aside from all the "stuff" to be alone with His father.
How much more do we need to get away in our day-to-day lives? I have learned that when I am getting worn down and tired that I need to make more time to abide in Jesus.
Jesus set a tough but needed example for us. He showed us that it is good to get away. Sometimes we feel guilty when we aren't busy doing, but the reality is that we need rest. God mandated to the Israelites that they were to take a day of rest. The writer of Psalms tells us to "be still and know that He is God." There are numerous places in scripture where getting away is important and lets people refresh and hear where God is directing them.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and out story to others?
Today I would encourage you to go to the news story linked with this Daily Bide. The article has a lot of pictures, so pick your favorite, print it, and post it somewhere you will see it often. Let it serve as a reminder to you that your friends need you to get away with Jesus on a regular basis.
They may not realize they need you to do that, but they need a friend who is regularly talking to Jesus about them. They need a friend who is reading through the bible, so they can make connections with God's story. Most of all they need a friend who is constantly growing in their friendship with Jesus.
People notice a difference as you spend time with Jesus as you grow deeper and learn how to love God and people more. Your friends will see that relationship taking shape in your life. Your friends need you to get away with Jesus regularly.
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