Tired of isolation? Americans aren’t used to being alone. It makes us restless. Most of us have been sequestered and isolated at home now for more than 10 weeks. Many are thinking, this is enough! Most are asking, when will this end?
Believe it or not, isolation can be a good thing! It gives us time to think, pray, evaluate and plan for the future. Every time Jesus' ministry became busy and hectic, He withdrew alone to pray (Matthew 14:23).
If anyone understood what it was like to feel isolated, it was Moses. He spent 40 years in the wilderness of Midian. In Psalm 90:12, 14, he wrote: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom...that we may rejoice and be glad all our days." Forty years = 14,600 days! During all those days, Moses was being prepared in isolation for God's real purpose in his life—to lead Israel in the Exodus.
Why has God virtually shut down the entire world? Is the government quarantine really God's "Time Out?" Why has He forced us to be isolated and sequestered away for a season? Is it not to remind us that the days of our lives are a gift from God? The ultimate question is: What are you doing with all this extra time to make a difference for eternity?
Consider these biblical examples of God's people who were in a divinely-imposed "time out" prior to experiencing their greatest ministry and God's greatest blessings.
·JOSEPH was in prison in Egypt for several years before he became the Grand Viser to Pharaoh.
·MOSES was in the wilderness of Midian for 40 years before he became the leader of the exodus.
·GIDEON was hiding in a wine-press before he conquered the Midianites.
·ELIJAH was hiding in a cave before he called Elisha and trained hundreds of prophets to confront the culture.
·JONAH spent 3 days and nights in the belly of a great fish and emerged to preach again.
·JEREMIAH was imprisoned in a pit for several weeks before he was released to continue preaching.
·DANIEL spent the night alone in the lions’ den before he delivered his final prophecies.
·ESTHER was hiding her identity alone in the palace before she risked her life to save the Jews.
·PAUL was under house arrest in Rome for 2 years during which he wrote several of his epistles.
·JOHN was isolated on the island of Patmos for 1-2 years during which he wrote the Book of Revelation.
Why does God have you isolated right now? What does He want you to be doing to better prepare to serve Him? All those times you said, “If I just had more time, I would... pray more, read God’s Word, share my faith, read a book, watch a Christian video, call or text my friends and relatives and speak a word of faith, hope and encouragement to them.”
Well, you have the time! What are you going to do with it to make a difference for eternity? Lord, “teach us to number our days.”