Read Luke 9:6,10
v. 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
v. 10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,
It must have been amazing… life-changing, for the disciples to go out “proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.” But then, upon their return, oh, the stories they must have told Jesus! It probably wasn’t a simple recount of events; not with all they had seen! I imagine they excitedly chattered on and on…. “We went here, and they provided everything we needed!” …. “And then we prayed, and the woman was healed!”… There must have also been places they weren’t welcomed, or things did not go as they expected, and those stories were told, too.
But I love what Jesus does next!
Recognizing the emotional and physical nature of all the disciples had just experienced, Jesus took them away. He made sure that they were able to rest with him… in his presence.
Jesus knew exactly what they would need in order to continue sharing the good news. Time with him, where he could listen, teach, and renew them. They needed the power of his presence to fill them up again.
I hope you don’t miss what’s crucial here. Just as Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim the good news and offer healing, he does the same with us. We might not travel from place to place, but we are called to preach the gospel with our lives in every space and relationship we have. But we too need to rest in his presence. It’s a gift, really. One that is given generously, by a God who loves us immeasurably. He knows we need the restoration of his presence in order to continue to go where he calls and do what he asks.
Have you been so busy trying to do what God asks you to do that you have missed out on being in his presence? Don’t forget that the power you need comes from him! How can you seek out the power of God’s presence today?
