I first encountered Jesus in February 1974.  I am so grateful to those who taught me, right from the start, the importance of what they called ‘the quiet time’.

The old-fashioned expression ‘the quiet time’ (meaning time set aside to read the Bible and pray) probably has its origin in the words of Jesus, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place’ (Mark 6:31).  Practically every morning since I was eighteen years of age I have begun the day in this way.  I try to spend time with Jesus, by myself, in a quiet place.  Sometimes it is very brief, sometimes it is longer.  But just as I do not like beginning the day without breakfast, I cannot imagine beginning the day without spiritual food. 

In the passages for today we see three different aspects of ‘the quiet time’.

1.  Time to ask God

In this psalm we see David’s example of prayer.  ‘I am looking to you, God’ (v.1, MSG).  He was obviously under attack, but he trusted that God would never let him be put to shame (v.3).  His hope was in God ‘all day long’ (v.5).  He prays for guidance (vv.4–5) and then uses the word ‘remember’ three times:

• ‘Remember … your great mercy and love’

It is good to meditate and thank God for his ‘mercy and love’ (v.6).

• ‘Remember not …’

David asked God not to remember ‘the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways’ (v.7a).  Part of prayer is asking God to forgive us for the past.

• ‘… Remember me’

We can pray for ourselves and ask, as David did, for God’s help, guidance and deliverance from our enemies.  ‘Take me by the hand; Lead me down the paths of truth ... plan only the best for me, God!’ (vv.5,7, MSG).

Lord, today I put my trust in you.  Thank you that ‘no one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame’ (v.3).  I pray for your guidance in all our meetings and decisions, ‘show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths; Guide me in your truth and teach me’ (vv.4–5a).

Thank you for your great mercy and love.  Forgive ‘the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways’ (v.7).  I pray for your help, guidance and deliverance.

2.  Time alone with Jesus

Jesus taught his disciples the priority of time alone with him.  He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place’ (v.31b) and they went off by themselves ‘to a solitary place’ (v.32).

There was so much action going on in Jesus’ life that it must have been very hard for him to escape.  God was using him in amazing ways – feeding the five thousand and walking on water for a start!  He saw the huge needs of all the people (‘He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd’, v.34). 

They were desperate for him and were literally running towards him (vv.33,55).  Nevertheless, Jesus found it necessary to send them all off and climb a mountain to pray (v.46, MSG).  He prioritised his time alone with God.

Prayer and action go hand in hand.  The activity comes out of the relationship.  Jesus ‘had compassion on them’ (v.34).  The word used is the strongest word in the Greek language for ‘pity’.  ‘His heart broke’ (v.34, MSG).  Jesus was constantly developing the disciples in their life of discipleship.  He did not merely feed the five thousand miraculously by himself.  He said to them, ‘You give them something to eat’ (v.37). 

Further, Jesus was efficient, organised and practical.  He ‘told them to make all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties’ (vv.39–40).

After the disciples had fed the five thousand, Jesus sent them off again by themselves.  He made his disciples get into a boat and go on ahead of him, while he went up on a mountainside to pray. 

Even when we are doing what Jesus tells us to do, it is sometimes very difficult and hard work.  ‘He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them’ (v.48).  When Jesus joins them he says, ‘Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid’ (v.50). 

As Jesus climbed into the boat with them, ‘the wind died down’ (v.51).  We see a picture of the difference Jesus makes to our lives.  It is a real uphill struggle unless we are conscious of Jesus’ presence with us.

Only those who recognise Jesus (v.54) can enjoy this relationship.  Those who did recognise him ran towards him (v.55) and ‘all who touched [his cloak] were healed’ (v.56).

Lord, help us to follow your example and find time to pray.  Help us to accept your invitation to ‘come with me by yourselves to a quiet place’ (v.31).  Thank you for the difference that your presence with us makes as we face the storms of life.  Thank you that you say to us: ‘Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid’ (v.50).

3.  Time to receive help from God

The quiet time involves getting alone with Jesus and praying.  It also involves listening to him.  The main way in which we hear Jesus speak to us is through the Bible.  It is often when we fail to spend time alone with Jesus that we more easily succumb to temptation.

In Exodus 32 we see that however much God has done for us in the past, we so quickly forget and doubt him and, as a result, fall into sin.  ‘They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them’ (32:8).

The initial cause of the idolatry was a lack of patience.  They did not wait for God’s timing.  The fact that God takes what we consider to be a long time does not mean that he is not at work.

After the people had made the golden calf as an idol, it was the prayer of Moses that averted total disaster (vv.11–14).  By the power of prayer it is possible to change the course of history.

Aaron was held responsible for the idolatry, ‘What did these people do to you, that you led them into such a great sin?’ (v.21).  Actually, Aaron simply followed popular opinion.  It was the people’s idea and he had followed, but in God’s sight he had actually led them into sin by not standing against them.

Aaron replied, ‘You know how prone these people are to evil … they gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!’ (vv.22–24).  This is obviously nonsense but it is easy to distort the truth slightly to justify ourselves.

As followers of Jesus we read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament.  Today’s passage can only be understood in the light of the New Testament exposition of it.  St Paul writes, ‘Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did’ (1 Corinthians 10:6).  He says that this passage warns us about four things:

• Wanting our own way

‘Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry” ’ (1 Corinthians 10:7; Exodus 32:6). 

• Promiscuity

‘We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did – and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died’ (1 Corinthians 10:8).  ‘We must not be sexually promiscuous’ (v.8, MSG).

• Testing the Lord

‘We should not test Christ, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes’ (v.9).  ‘We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him’ (v.9, MSG).

• Discontent

‘And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel’ (v.10).  We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them’ (v.10, MSG).

St Paul goes on to say, ‘These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us’ (v.11). 

He then tells us how to deal with temptation: ‘No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face.  All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it’ (v.13, MSG).

Lord, thank you for the amazing privilege that we have of being able to spend time in your presence.  Thank you that we can pray to you and that you hear our prayers.  Thank you that we can listen to your voice.  Thank you that you speak to us through the Scriptures.  Thank you that what is written about in the Old Testament occurred as examples for us.  Help us to take note of these examples and learn from them.  Thank you that you promise that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear.  Thank you that you promise a way out.  Help us to be careful that we do not fall.  Keep us walking in a close relationship with you each day.

Exodus 31:1–33:6

How quickly people get in to mischief when left to their own devices.  Aaron should have known better – he had been part of many great miracles.  Even he was led astray by the crowd.  Only Moses remained totally faithful, he was a true leader.