Retreat Resolve

I have just spent the last four days in a personal retreat. This was something that my wife and I agreed upon that I needed to do in order to seek God in a fresh way in my life as a Christian, husband, father, and pastor. There are a few significant things going on in my life and world where I desperately needed to get away with God and sort of detox from human and worldly influences and pursue the mind of God.

Honestly, I have never taken a retreat alone by myself and so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I went into this weekend very excited, nervous, anxious, and ready for God to do a good work of grace in my mind, my heart, and in my will. It may sound funny, but although I had no idea what to expect, my expectations were high.

Genuine questions followed like: Should I expect a 'charismatic' moment? Will this only be a time of confession and repentance? Will it be very emotional? Is God going to lead me in a completely new direction in my life? Should I have a strategy going into this thing or just show up and let God lead me as He desired?

I opened up the Scriptures and began to read. I knew that I must aim my mind as high as I could concerning God and His nature and character, so I also began to read The Attributes of God by Pink, knowing that he would highlight those Scriptures for me.

In his introduction he says, "Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments. "Then shall we know, if we follow on (in the path of obedience) to know the Lord" (Hosea 6.3).

Jeremiah 9.23-24 "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast of his might, let not the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindess, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things", declares the LORD.

The whole weekend was built on this one verse for me. And in regards to my personal and family life I was able to walk away with about 10 Resolves on how God is leading me to live in these areas.

The spiritual impact of this retreat for me was a "spiritual alignment" in areas of my life as I looked to Christ and His Word in worship for wisdom and direction. Much more can definitely be said. I have pages upon pages of notes that will help to remind me of the impressions the Holy Spirit made in me. But overall this was an incredible time getting realigned in the spiritual disciplines and more importantly getting to know God more intimately.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me!