Finding
a Corner
By Michael
K. Farrar, O.D.
©
September 2, 2003
John Stott, famous British theologian and preacher, was traveling to a
speaking engagement in England and had a small layover in a train station. He
was concerned that he wouldn't have time to pray and be alone with the Lord
once he arrived at his destination. He therefore decided to look around the
bustling train station for a quiet place to pray. Hundreds of people scurried
about him. Baggage carts competed for space. The passenger trains coming and
going made a deafening sound. He finally noticed a small-secluded corner where
two walls came together. He proceeded to plant himself in this intersection of
walls. Facing the cold reddish bricks, he bowed his head and spoke with his
Creator. After several minutes of communion he felt refreshed and ready to
proceed onto to his destination. When he turned around he was surprised to find
a crowd of people staring at him, wondering what in the world this elderly man
was doing stuck in the corner of a train station gazing at the blank wall.
John Stott demonstrated in this
situation a desire to fellowship with his Lord. He also evidenced a commitment
to seek fellowship with God, despite the limitations and restrictions of his
surroundings. All of us have similar problems finding the time to spend with
our Savior in our busy world. There's no excuse really, but we offer up reasons
that we don't have enough time, there isn't a good place to do it, we have
other things to get done first, we didn't remember, we're not in the mood and
on and on. Too often we let our environment dictate our spiritual decisions,
give in to the weakness of our flesh or allow Satan to distract us from our
commitment to Christ. John Stott made an attempt to emulate his mentor, Jesus
Christ, and so should we.
Jesus had
a strong desire to stay in touch with the One who had sent Him, His Heavenly
Father. After Jesus was baptized he went into the wilderness to pray and talk
with His Heavenly Father. Even in the solitude of the desert, Satan intruded
into His isolated world. During His short ministry, Jesus often sought time
with God on the mountainsides and in the gardens of Israel. Even Jesus, the Son
of God, knew the importance of fellowship with God and prayer. He sought out
solitude so that he could focus on God and His calling. Of all the things the
disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them, the one thing requested by them
was to learn how to pray (Luke 11). They marveled at Jesus' dedication to
seeking God through prayer. They realized that He placed great importance upon
it and were convicted that in order to cope in life, prayer is essential.
Psalms 63:1 seems to describe the
situation John Stott faced in the train station and the one we face daily when
it says, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for
you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
We live in a world that is parched spiritually. Surrounding us is a desert of
philosophies, worldviews and false religions. All around us are materialistic
distractions, entertainment opportunities and time eating pursuits that prevent
us from seeking the one thing our soul needs, communion with our Lord and
Master. Finding a corner to speak to our God can be hard at times, but it may
not be as hard as it appears. John Stott found a corner in a busy train
station. You and I can find corners in our car on the way to work, in our
bedrooms at home, in a parking lot of a shopping mall, in the woods of a city
park. God is only a prayer away and doesn't require a lot for us to talk with
Him.
Our physical environment can
hinder our prayers, but if the desire for God is within us, we will strive to
speak to God no matter what surrounds us. Soldiers have prayed to their Savior
amidst the thunder of shells exploding nearby. Patients have prayed to God
during intense pain in hospital beds. I am sure people were praying to their
Creator as the twin towers collapsed beneath them in New York City. Too often
we use our environment and circumstances as excuses to avoid meeting our
Savior.
God waits in the corners of the
world to commune with us. He waits patiently for us to come and allow Him to
guide, comfort, advise, and tenderly show His love.
There is a corner that is always
accessible for us to speak with our Heavenly Father. It lies within our hearts.
He waits in the corners of your heart, mind and soul, in those areas most
private to us that no one sees. God is there ready to speak with us. Christians
have God’s Spirit within them, always ready and willing to discuss with them
the needs of their life. Those who have not accepted Christ as Savior have a
void that God desires to fill with His presence. Seek God in a corner and reap
the blessings of spiritual nourishment. Seek God and allow Him to fill you with
His Spirit. Seek God if He isn’t already in your heart as Lord and Master.