Taken Aside by Jesus
Are you having a painful struggle right now? Can we pray for you?
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Have you ever had a really deep, dark struggle in your life? I have. It sent me to my knees to truly seek the Lord. Out of that time of struggle came the Lord’s peace and this piece, which I offer for the comfort of another. I pray the Lord will touch your heart in a positive way through my experience.
“He took him aside from the multitude” (Mark 7:33a NKJV).
Oh, from these bars of confinement that have shut me in, I cry out to God. From this darkness that surrounds me, it seems as though all is lost. Yet, I know all things are sifted through the loving fingers of my precious Lord. Wishing to commune with me, He allows this thing to touch my life right now.
As I feel the sting of heartache and loneliness, the restlessness of discontent and frustration, the anguish of defeat and helplessness, He withdraws me from the busyness of the world that I may be still before Him and wait.
Hidden from everyone’s view, tears quietly stream down my cheeks, but the Lord sees my aching heart, and with His nail-scarred hand, He wipes away my tears. “Nearly all God’s jewels are crystallized tears,” someone once said.
Too many voices clamor for my attention. My ears, wearied from the noise of the world, impatiently wait for the comforting sound of His voice. All things fall by the wayside when the indescribable Still Small Voice whispers ever so quietly to my listening soul.
The Lord “takes me aside from the crowd [privately]” into absolute aloneness with Him, that I may listen only to Him. His words of love and comfort speak thunderously in this solitude. It is from here that I must search for His loving purpose.
The Lord’s purpose in taking me aside is never immediately discerned. However, getting my attention and bringing me into a deeper relationship with Him is always His will in my blackest hours.
When the darkness and loneliness loom endlessly, they yet result in the richest and most rewarding of all spiritual experiences, for it is then that I see my darkness is but the overshadowing of the wings of the Lord. It is then I await the radiance of His glorious light to fall from heaven that I might behold my precious Savior.
As dew is quietly dispensed in the gloom of night, so the Holy Spirit comes to silently distill His peace and comfort. In waves of coolness, He breathes upon me like a refreshing wind.
Just as the countless grains of parched, desert sand crave rainfall, this dry and dusty mortal vessel yearns for those Living Waters provided only by the Lord. Then His peace pours forth as an endless river, rushing over me to cleanse away all that would obstruct my view of Him. As I go to the Well, I drink in His Life and I am revitalized.
When I sing of His wonders and tell of His glories, my walls of confinement fade into nothingness. The way opens before me. In the darkness, I see His brilliant, glistening footsteps on the path before me as if sprinkled with the glitter of heavenly dust, and only the light of praise brings them into focus.
Not all my questions are answered nor all my longings appeased, but His gracious mercy provides the path of recovery to soundness, to wholeness, to a larger place, to Himself.
Maybe out of my desert, rivers of blessings may be poured out to other parched souls. I pray that freedom for others may come out of my confinement, that light for blind eyes may come out of my darkness, and that comfort for the hurting may come out of my loneliness.
It is for this that I praise Him for “taking me aside.”
“And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not” (Isaiah 58:11 AMP).
Father God, Come to my parched heart with the water of Your Spirit. Amen.
Questions: What is your painful struggle? How are you facing your pain? How can comfort come out of pain?
About the Author Lynn Mosher
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Hope in God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
12 Responses to “Taken Aside by Jesus”
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I cannot tell you all how humbled I am by all your comments. You are all so precious. This piece has always been very special to my heart. It came out of one of those times, or many times rolled into one. The Lord has a very special place in mind and the right time scheduled for it and it was here and now. That’s why it was turned down from several others publishers. I am so overwhelmed at the hearts the Lord has touched. I take no credit for what He has done. I merely followed in His footsteps. I praise Him and thank you for each of you and pray His blessings of comfort, peace, and healing for each one. Blessings to all…Lynn
I have just come through one of the worst two weeks in my life with the hospitalization of my 25 year old daughter. Lynn you must have known just what I needed that I could not have articulated nearly as beautifully. You said exactly what I was feeling and gave me something to hold on to, should this ever happen to us again. This post has blessed me beyond measure. I’m so glad I found it. God bless you abundantly.
Amen – We all dread dark and lonely times – but so many of them bring blessings we could not have received with out it
Lynn, what a blessing you are. I too have FMS. I’ve had it most of my life. Wasn’t diagnosed until a few years ago.
http://myfibrojournal.blogspot.com/ <<– My FM blog.
Lynn, thank you for the devotional. Most powerful indeed. The struggle I’m experiencing is not mine but that of a sibling. As I approach the situation through prayers on his behalf, even this does not ease his pain right now. His pain is mine but I don’t hide my pain, the Lord takes it from me. So through prayer and study daily of His Word I am finding comfort and strength to continue the support for my sibling no matter what. Each trial we go through, we don’t need to battle it on our own and I had to learn this through the trial of my life. it has brought me to a strength that only God could provide.
Echoing the comments above, I too stand in awe of God and the magnificent many ways He shows His faithfulness and love. Thank youand may He continue to shower you with His BEST blessings, Ruthann
Thank you, Lynn, for sharing with us how Jesus gives us treasures of darkness. He leads us to a wider space–to Himself. How beautifully written!
Thank you. Awesome. I feel the most pressing darkness in my life right now is that 3 of my children are not going to church or living a Godly life. They were born again a long time ago, and my prayer and heartfelt desire is for them to praise The Lord and reach out to Him. For their sakes and their children’s. Thanks again for the great post. :) Peg
My daugher sent this to me this morning at just the right time. My husband lost his son (my wonderful stepson) this past weekend when he was killed in a car accident. I needed to be taken aside, and Lynn’s gift to relay that was a true gift of God to me. Thank you, Lynn.
WOW!! Jesus just used you to take me aside. I felt like I was right there as you were explaining it. I am not going through a trial right now but non the less feel so incredibly refreshed by this!!! Thank you for listening to the Lord and following His will for your life!
How beautifully written. How wonderful is our Lord!Truly His love is so great! I really felt it so much as I read this. That He stops for just one of a billion sinners to offer comfort and peace. Praise to Him!
reading today’s devotional refreshed me*i immediately gave thanks to Jesus for “taking me aside” i am going through a trial in my life and this devotional reading is just resonating through my whole being it has touched me at so many levels words cannot capture*a word in due season* thank you for sharing *thank you * i will remember you in my prayers * thank you for sharing your gift through your inspiring words*thank you*