For Such a Time as This

An Opportune Thing

by Dewey Compton

What Does God want to produce out of this quarantine? The church can’t go back to the same way of doing things. God is getting personal! Have you gotten what you are supposed to get in this time that you can’t get otherwise?

What is this opportune thing God is wanting to do now for such a time as this?

I am reminded of when Jesus was on this Earth as God’s son. The gospel of John is filled with phrases of Jesus telling the people He only does what the Father does or tells him. They are one. Jesus did not come to do His will, but the Father’s who sent Him. 

Often Jesus had to get away from all the business, the ministry, the people, and spend time with His Father. He sets the example for us. It is clear that Jesus needed to be clear at hearing the Father’s voice and seeing things the way the Father sees things. So as He went about His day interacting with people, He did exactly the Father’s will.

This is our mission today. I believe this Quarantine time is our opportunity to be like Jesus. It should be much easier for us because we have the Holy Spirit living in us and helps us, and Jesus lives to intercede for us. Refer to John 17, Hebrews 7:25, and Roman’s 8:26. They want to tell us what they are doing.

So how does it work? Here is my understanding so far and what I am doing to be like Jesus in this world. 1 John 4:17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus.

Jesus got away.

Matthew 14:23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Mark 6:46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Mark 1:35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

What if this time NOW is our time to get away from it all? What if it’s almost over as our city, state, and the world prepare to “open back up”? Again, have you gotten what God wants to give you that you couldn’t get otherwise?

This is the time to sit in His lap and be quiet and listen. This might be challenging for some as we are programmed to be busy and go and do. But the question I ask is this: Are we busy about the world’s business or are we busy about Jesus’ business. When Jesus was 12, he had to be in His Father’s house. Luke 2:49. We need to be like that child again.

 So how do we getaway to our Father’s House? Here is a good place to start.

1. Get in a quiet place where there are no distractions. Maybe it’s an early morning like Jesus or late in the night. Maybe it’s a location like the mountains or beaches. Turn off phones, social media, and all distractions.

2. Open in a simple, honest prayer: “So Holy Spirit, Jesus, Father, I am here joining you in your Kingdom. I’m climbing up in your lap to be with You because I am your child. I trust You in what You want to do.”

3. Now, sit, lay, poster yourself in quietness. Listen! Start with 15 or 30 minutes.

4. You might hear Bible verses in your mind. You might see pictures or images. You might get a vision. You might simply just feel the love of God caress you. You never know what He is going to do. But you are trusting Him, right? He knows what you need. After your time has ended, write down what you encountered and process it. For example, one time, during my time in the Father’s house, I saw this: a flashlight. The diameter of the beam could be focused brightly in the distance or expanded widely up close based on me pulling or pushing the light in and out. The Lord showed me this is who we are when we shine our light, it automatically displaces darkness.

5. The more you do this, the better you get at hearing from God.

6. Practice makes permanence.

Why is this important? Because Jesus did it. When He went about His day, He did exactly what His Father told Him. When we follow Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit, we can be sure as we go about our day, we can hear His voice better and know for sure what He wants to do in us and other people’s lives. The guesswork diminishes and we are being like Jesus on this Earth.

Everything you receive will be centered around Matt. 22: 37-40

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Lastly, what if you can become like Jesus and every square meter of the space you occupy on this Earth is restored? You are the portal from Heaven to Earth that provides restoration as you go and interact with the world and people. It’s not what we do, or what teaching or church we go to. It is simply heaven in us walking around this planet transforming it. Expand your diameter of light and displace darkness. I started off this paragraph saying what if we can become like Jesus. The reality is we already are. We just aren’t convinced of it yet. But that is changing, right? 

Insert a <wink> from Holy Spirit here.