¹⁶ Yet he often withdrew to deserted places and prayed. (Luke 5:16 CSB)

I love riding around Texas. But, I come across quite a few deserted places. A lot of small towns have dried up and are in danger of blowing away.

Jesus often withdrew to the deserted places to get some time to himself. I get this, because these deserted places are often very peaceful. They provide a respite from the world and they beckon for us to consider the deserted places in our lives.

Also, we need such time apart from the world that too few of us get or take. Like Jesus, spending time with the Father in silence and solitude renews us in ways we forget when we spend all of our time runnin’ and gunnin’.

However, I talk to many who have never gotten comfortable with silence or solitude. They move through life worn out and frazzled wondering why. They never correlate the fact that because of this their hearts are becoming the deserted places. They are drying up like these small towns and in danger of blowing away.

Rest, silence and solitude is the wellspring to our souls. We need time to renew and that does not happen nearly enough in our constantly connected, busy lives.

Maybe today is high time for you to take time for yourself and reach down into that wellspring before the next day begins.