Hello and welcome to the fourteenth episode of My Hand in His. Let us hear further from David as he shares his experience which may inspire us to yield to God in our daily lives, for His way is the way.

In June 1991, David’s family and a GR colleague drove from Los Angeles to Arizona where they planned to camp at the Grand Canyon National Park. Along the 800-mile journey, there were only huge cacti on the desert land. There was hardly any other traffic. No scenery and of course, no automobile shops along the way. But there were signs reading “REST STOP AHEAD” reminding travellers to take a break, check the radiator and engine oil and top up the petrol tank. Those who ignore such reminders risk a breakdown under the scorching heat in the desert.

Like high-speed travellers on the road of life, many Christians and ministers are addicted to busyness. Inactivity makes them feel disoriented; leisure makes them feel guilty. Their security comes from rushing from one program to another. They have ignored the Psalmist’s advice: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46: 10). As a result, worry, stress, anger and frustration set in. They drive themselves to nervous breakdowns, illness and spiritual bankruptcy. Some Christian workers leave the ministry consequently and few never recover.

Our daily schedules are packed with activities and the ‘to do’ list is often long. We fail to make it a habit to spend time alone with God daily. As for David, when he is exhausted from serving Him, he said, “I can be recharged spiritually in His presence”. His remedy is very simple: just read the Bible, worship, pray and rest. When he spends time alone with God daily, he experiences what is found in Isaiah 40: 39-40, “He gives strength to the weary… those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.”

My journey of faith has been like a journey through the desert of hundreds of miles or even longer. Sometimes, in our hurry to get ahead, we fail to make the habit of spending time alone with the Lord.

I will not be worn out easily, if I spend time constantly in His presence. I will soar like an eagle because my affections will be set on things above.

David enlightened that solitude was the secret of the great missionary Hudson Taylor and many well-known Christians in church history. It is a discipline rarely taught in seminaries and churches and largely neglected by Christians in general.

David advised that we should not see solitude as withdrawing from the world to be alone; rather, it is the withdrawal from the world to be alone with God. He shared with us four benefits of solitude:-

One: It Develops Spiritual Depth

God is more concerned with our being than our doing. The American pastor Warren Wiersbe said it well, “Take care of your spiritual depth; God will take care of the width of your ministry.”

Spiritual depth and maturity cannot be cultivated in a hurry. There are seminars in the market today that promise instant spiritual experiences. David on the hand pointed out that if Christians want to grow spiritually, they should be responsible in disciplining themselves for their own spiritual formation

I need solitude with God to pray, read His Word and worship Him. These are the true nutrients for my spiritual growth. Spending time alone with God will also enable me to influence others. Without solitude, I have nothing to say to the world, no energy to tell them about Christ.

True spirituality is a long-term discipline – a steady diet, not a fast-food meal. And spiritual cultivation takes time with God alone. The source of my sermons is God. I can only give as much as I receive from Him. If my message is to be used by God, I need to spend time alone with Him to discern what He wants me to tell the church.

Two: It Gives Spiritual Refreshment

Jesus knew that spending time alone with God could sharpen His purpose and renew His strength. In the Bible, when Jesus sensed a great need to be away from the crowd, He spent time alone with God. David said we too must take the cue from Him. Jesus reminds us in John 15: 5, “Without me you can do nothing.”

It is vital for me to habitually draw near to God daily to receive strength.

Day and night, Jesus spent time with the Father in isolation to repair the ‘damage’ done by the crowd, and He constantly reminded his disciples about the necessity of doing the same. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest,” He told them in Mark 6: 31.

“How can we carry the Living Water for others, if we don’t stop to refresh our own souls?” Mother Teresa asked. My life should not be a water pipe, but rather a reservoir that provides unlimited resources for people. Solitude and silence invited me to drink deeply in God’s presence, helping me to slake the thirst of my panting soul. “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you” (Psalm 42: 1).

As branches, we need to be vitally attached to Christ, the True Vine, in order to draw life from Him.

Three: It Renews Our Focus

Solitude allows me to reflect on my spiritual journey to see where I might have gone wrong, or whether I am on the right track. If I don’t pause and create a segment of silence in my life, I will be floundering in darkness. Solitude allows me to rest, and gets me away from the constant push and pull of others’ demands, interruptions, schedules and expectations.

The presence of God gives David a sense of renewed vision and the realisation of the purpose of his existence. Solitude gives him a new perspective in looking at God, his family, the world and himself. And he said, “In the presence of God, I receive fresh revelation.”

The importance is not in what I am saying, but rather in what God is saying to me and through me. Staying close to God is vital. I cannot draw others closer to Him, unless I am drawn close to Him first.

Busy-ness is not a Christian virtue. Have you ever heard saying about people who are very busy? “They hurry, they worry and they bury”. I have learnt that my spiritually is not measured by the number of things that I achieve or do. God is in the business of making me more like Christ.

Like a tree that grows in silence, so is my life in Christ.

Four: It Orders Our Private Worlds

Solitude offers me the essential moments of sanity amid the craziness of life, and the silence that I seek is a gateway to develop depth in my spiritual life. Jesus commended that Mary for choosing the best by spending time learn at His feet. (Luke 10:38-42)

God’s presence is like a unifying force in our lives. His presence can help me harness all the fragmented parts of my life, impacting me, so that I can, in turn, impact others.

In solitude, David discovered his own thought, filter out the non-essentials, find his own pace, rest and reorganise. I recall the meaning of my unique call, clarify what I value, regain my perspective, reinforce my focus, reacquaint myself with my dreams and become more attentive to God. This works to strengthen my life, and make my ministry will be more focused and enduring.

Mother Teresa summed up well:

We need to find God: He can’t be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the planets, how they move in silence … We need silence in order to touch a soul.

Jesus invites us to a ‘Rest Stop Ahead’ where we can be alone with Him. There we find inner rest and peace, and keep our sanity in this harried world.

Carrying the Cross

When David gave up his career and resigned as a manager to be a missionary, his older brother wrote him an angry letter, tears welled up David’s eyes as he read the letter. Similarly, his mother kept disparaging him for years. To her, David was a capable son. He worked as a manager which brought her prestige and status. But, she wrongly believed that David wanted an easy life. She shared the same notion like some church members that pastors work once a week, on Sunday only!

His siblings left him out of their social gathering and relatives cut him off maybe because they thought he was poor. According to David, being ignored by his family was painful. But David held back his tears. He knew that was a price to pay for his call to mission.

Jesus said in Luke 14: 26-27, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

I know Jesus is real. He answers my prayers. When I am sad or worried, I can pray to Him and He never fails me. I love Him and am willing to sacrifice my family standing and career to serve Him.

But as the years passed, David’s mother stopped mocking him. It could be the love and care showed to her by Veronica and David. They often drove her on outings to shop and eat. And when David was on overseas assignment, Veronica took the initiative to visit her and cook delicious food for her. And her dear grand-daughter, Melody, formed a close bond with her.

Once the senior said, “Lebbit (her way of calling David), I’m so disappointed with praying to all the shen; they don’t answer my pleading.”

Mother had very often seen God answer my prayers. She couldn’t refute my testimonies; she also saw the remarkable kind and loving behaviour of my church friends. She was convinced that Christians are special people.

It has been David’s heart desire to see his beloved mother to give her life to Jesus. She once said, “When your grandpa dies, I am going to become a Christian.” But when grandpa died, his mother did not become a Christian.

She had a stroke in 2005 and her lower body was paralyzed. She stayed in a hospital for medical care. One day, a church worker visited his mother and shared the gospel with her, when she casually told him that she believed in Jesus! David rejoiced when this brother told him the good news.

From then on, she would remind David to pray whenever he has problems. When he fell into a bad bout of depression, she went to the front of his church and prayed for him.

She passed away peacefully in November 2006. David was the only son who was then in Singapore. The doctor summoned him to handle her death in order to prepare for the funeral. Looking at her sleeping soundly like a baby, David did not know his mother had already passed away when he came into the ward.

David is convinced that his mother had gone to the Lord because she confessed her faith in Jesus. He is prepared to meet her in the future.

We hope you learn the importance of solitude and spending time alone with the Lord every day. Please follow us next week as we bring the last episode of the series to you. Stay tuned.