The Sweet Savor of Solitude in the Secret Place
In the concourse of this season, we are beginning to see a phenomenon emerging that is demanding our attentiveness to be ever more aware of the imminent necessity of our understanding to be able to properly discern the desire of our Father and the intent of His Heart.
Many people feel a constriction of time when it comes to spiritual matters of the present days. They are so busy with work, family, and other obligations that they barely have any time to reflect on their inner life or connect with Abba on a deeper level. They may feel guilty or anxious about neglecting their spiritual needs, but they do not know how to fit them into their hectic schedule. They may also feel disconnected from the spiritual traditions or communities that they grew up with or that they once found meaningful.
Considering the monumental challenges we face today with the constraints of life, it becomes clear that one thing is most needful in these times; the care and consideration of the health of our inner man and the subsequent role that it plays in the whole of our existence. So often we focus on our physical and mental health, but we neglect our spiritual health. Our spiritual health is the condition of our inner man, the part of us that connects with God and transcends the material world. Our spiritual health affects our emotions, our relationships, our values, and our purpose in life. When we neglect our spiritual health, we may feel empty, restless, or hopeless. We may lose sight of what really matters and chase after things that do not satisfy us. We may also struggle with guilt, shame, or fear. Guilt, shame, and fear are emotions that can affect our spiritual lives in negative ways. They can make us feel unworthy, isolated, and hopeless. They can prevent us from experiencing God's love, grace, and forgiveness. They can also keep us from growing in our faith and serving others with joy.
This phenomena has become the asymmetrical dynamic that has brought to the forefront of our perception the imminent need to grow in our relationship with God and to spend intentional times of reflective solitude with Holy Spirit. When we do this, we open ourselves to hear His voice, to receive His guidance, and to experience His love. Reflective solitude is not just being alone or quiet, but it is a deliberate practice of tuning out the distractions and noise of the world and tuning in to the presence and power of God. Some of the positive effects of reflective solitude with Holy Spirit are:
- It helps us to renew our minds and align our thoughts with God's truth.
- It strengthens our faith and trust in God's promises and plans for our lives.
- It fills us with joy and peace that surpasses all understanding.
- It empowers us to live out our purpose and calling with confidence and courage.
- It enables us to love God and others more deeply and authentically.
Reflective solitude with Holy Spirit is a gift that we can enjoy every day, no matter where we are or what we are going through. It is a way of living in constant communion with God, who is always with us and for us.
Communion carries with it the purposeful content that we were formed and fashioned…Authentically Designed, to dwell in Common-Union with the One True God who is true Love and longs to share all that He is with us in all that He intended for us. Righteousness, Peace, and Joy is the Culture, and the Atmosphere of the Home that Abba has established for us. We are so blessed to have a special relationship with our heavenly Father, who loves us as His children. He has shown us His love through His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the perfect image of His glory and grace. Through Jesus, we can know God personally and intimately, and experience His presence and power in our lives. We are not just servants or followers, but friends and family of God. That's the Unique Union we share with Abba in the reflection of Jesus Christ. In Christ we see the Perfect Image of what Abba wants us to know about Himself. And the Marvelous Mystery revealed is this…simultaneously Jesus reflects to us who WE are before the Face of Abba. He is the culmination of all that Abba wants us to know about Himself and all that Abba wants us to know about ourselves!
We see a beautiful picture of the Unveiling of this Union of The Lamb and all those that follow Him. In Rev 8:3 it says this,” Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne.” The word “another” (G243, allos, in the Strong’s Concordance) is an adjective that means, different; by implication it means a person; a servant-messenger carrying a message forth from Abba, This Servant-Messenger is one who has found themselves stationed at the altar of incense. The word stationed portrays a powerful message to us. The word “Stationed” (G2476, histemi, in the Strong’s Concordance) in the Greek language written here as seen by the Apostle John the Beloved gives us the picture of ‘one who has been set firmly in place, established, ordained, upheld and sustained by the authority of Christ Jesus.” These Servant-Messengers are not what we know as “Angels”, but ones who have been positioned there. The Proximity of the Messenger to the Lamb witnesses to us of two lives mutually exclusive, yet sharing purpose, operating in Perfected Oneness. The Relationship of Father, Son and Spirit is NOW shared by Humanity in Redemption. The Answer of the High Priestly Prayer of John 17; 23-24!
What a splendid vision to behold the lovely ones joined to the lamb at that altar of incense. The fire of His passionate love burning up every distortion and misidentification created in the vanity of our own imaginations. We see that our faithfulness and obedience to the Lord, is NOW predicated on his Marvelous Grace that has been bestowed to us in the immediacy of His presence and peace. We express our praises to him with joy and gratitude, and our prayers ascend like fragrant smoke before Him. We experience his love and grace, and we realize we’re home
Living connected to Christ Jesus in a NOW reality means that we are not waiting for some future event or circumstance to experience his presence and power. It means that we are aware of his constant love and grace in every moment of our lives. It means that we are living in the reality of his kingdom, where he is the King, and we are his beloved children. It means that we are not defined by our past mistakes or our present challenges, but by our identity in him. It means that we are not striving to earn his approval or please him with our performance, but we are resting in his finished work on the cross and his resurrection. Living connected to Christ Jesus in a NOW reality is the most fulfilling and joyful way to live, because it is the way he designed us to live…and we find that here…in this place called HOME, and drink deeply of this satisfaction knowing the Sweet Savor of this Solitude in the Secret Place…
~Robin Michael Beach
