“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed after him…And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also…”Mark 1:35-39
I was sitting quietly with my Bible seeking the Lord to speak to me after studying as I sat in a hallway of the hotel where I am staying now that I’m on the road for the Lord when a man I met the week before sat by me. He was waiting for breakfast to start. I was spending my usual morning time with the Lord out of my room, away from the dogs. I loved the quiet time with God. I didn’t want to be disturbed. Interrupted.
24 hours before, a hotel worker had walked by me as I spent time with the Lord at about 5:30 am. I hadn’t wanted to be interrupted then either. Nor had I wanted to be interrupted the week before when that same man had sat by me and engaged in conversation. Don’t misunderstand me. I LOVE people. Most importantly, I LOVE the Lord more than anything and anyone. And I LOVE talking to people about Him. Evangelism is in my bones, cells, and makeup. I so love opportunities to help people find and follow the Lord Jesus Christ that I have wondered if I will be bored in heaven because everyone will already know Him. But I am as human as the rest of us, with flesh and an selfish and ugly sin nature, and I have my times of not wanting to be interrupted. Who do these people think they are to interrupt my agenda? Can’t they see I am spending time with my Father in heaven? Or doing something else and don’t want to be disturbed?
When the man sat, I got ready to leave. But God’s Spirit held me there. He spoke to my heart. I heard from Him after all. Not about me. About Him. And this man. God wanted me to stay and speak to the man again about Him. Not easy stuff. Really hard stuff. How we’re running out of time, God’s wrath is coming, intellectual belief in Christ is not enough, even the demons believe, we need to forsake our selfish sinful desires and live for Christ, hell is real and awaits those who don’t follow Christ. The man didn’t believe we’re running out of time. I said the Bible makes it clear. In minutes, God’s Spirit showed me I was done. Done being interrupted. I left. How appalling, despicable, tragic, that my flesh in its selfishness had almost caused me to miss an opportunity to help someone spend eternity with God. The day before, God had led me to point the hotel worker to Him, His Word, and prayer and to pray for her later. The week before, I talked to the same man about God. Interruptions to my self-centered flesh. Opportunities to serve Christ. To die to self and live for Him. Jesus was continually interrupted. He continually denied Himself and lived for His Father in heaven and a world in need of Him. Are we?