Go to the place prepared
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Revelation 12:14
Since the beginning of 2024, there have been a number of my friends who have told me that they are feeling like they need to pull back for a time. They all seem to have the same reason of retreating for a time to separate from the world to have a quiet space with God. While I do agree that it is important to have that quiet time with God, I also believe it should be a daily thing, not just for a season of hiding.
There is great danger in retreating from people, especially when you pull back from the body of believers. It’s like your ear saying, “I need to step away from the body for a time because I need to be build up and encouraged.” If the ear separates from the body that it belongs to, it becomes a dead piece of flesh that no longer has the life of the entire body in it. Likewise, if during a time of separation, you retreat from the place that God has prepared for you to be encouraged and refreshed, you will also become just another dead piece of flesh in the world. We need each other and not only that but God designed our gifts to work with other people’s gifts and we are to come together regularly to that place where we will be pulled in closer to each other and to God.
In today’s reading in Revelation twelve, the women in the sign that John saw in heaven, represents a whole group of people, the Jewish nation. We pick it up in this chapter in verse 13 where she is given two wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness to a place, that back in verse six tell us has been prepared ahead of time for her by God. This is a time of retreat and hiding for the women, but she doesn’t go off on her own to try to figure out how to survive. She goes right to the place that God has already prepared for her to be nourished and protected. Verse six of chapter twelve says Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
You have a place that has been prepared for you too. God has prepared a place for you to retreat to for nourishment and restoration and that place is in the body of believers. God never designed us to pull away from that body and be isolated from the very place that was prepared for us to grow and flourish in. We are to come together regularly in weekend service and meet together in groups beyond those service to build one another up and serve others. The truth is that when we pull back from church and small groups, we are cutting ourselves off from God’s best for our lives. Hebrews 10:38 says: Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” When we draw back from those God has called us to, there is no longer pleasure in Him for us.
Today I want to encourage you to, yes! Spend quiet time with God each day. Retreat from the activities of the day to press in and hear what the Spirit of God wants to speak to your heart. Retreat and refresh by spending time in His holy Word and in prayer and make that precious time each day a priority in your life. But don’t pull back from the body you have been called to. We need each other and when we come together with other believers, we gain new life and energy that is created by the love and encouragement we give each other. If you are currently in a place that does not produce the life that He has for you, press in close to Him to make sure you are in the place that has been prepared for your nourishment and protection. Don’t let the hurts of the past pull you away from the very people that God has prepared for you to worship and serve along side. Instead, let that be your place of cleansing and wash away all the bitterness and fear that are the source of you running away in the first place.
Today’s scripture reading: Revelation 12:13-17
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The Daily Dose 