For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5 KJV

I think all of us at one time or another find ourselves going through times of trouble and testing. It seems like everything that can go wrong does and then we start looking for ways to fix them. We pray but God is silent. We sit and contemplate, what have we done? No answer is forthcoming. These can be very frustrating times in our lives. My wife and I recently found ourselves in just this situation. Our faith was strong and we are totally committed to serving Christ but nothing seemed to want to go right. Then I received a devotion that talked about how Jesus would go away by himself to pray. How God will come to us in the quiet times when we have gotten away from the cares of the world.

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:19 KJV

I knew immediately what we needed to do. We needed to come out of the world and the things of the world that were interfering with our daily walk with the Lord. We needed to get away to a quiet place where God could speak to us and us to him without the business of the daily routine. We needed to stop worrying about the hundreds of things we had no control over such as our business, our bills, our children (all over 20 but still involved in our daily lives) and so many other things that have no meaning. We needed to think with an eternal perspective instead of dwelling on the things that come into our lives that put us back into the world.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2 KJV

It was a Friday morning and my wife said to me, "I feel like we need to get away." She mirrored my thoughts exactly, so I told her to pack a suitcase and off we headed for the beach (a two hour drive from our home). Traffic was light and the hotel we wanted to stay at had rooms available, the season hadn't started yet so there weren't a lot of people down at the beach yet. The weather turned out to be perfect, and we found ourselves having a wonderful time watching the sun come up over the ocean as we prayed and a full moon rising at night under a clear sky. It was a renewing we both needed and although God didn't say any earth shattering things to us we knew He was there listening to what we had to say. We knew in our hearts this was His blessing to us to bring us back to where we needed to be and get us back out of the world.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 Corinthians 2:12 KJV

God has given and blessed each of us so greatly yet we ignore the wonders of His gifts for the lust of the things of the world. I would implore each of you to find a quiet place and time to talk to the one who loves you and gave His life so you could have an abundant life.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17 KJV

Let Father come to you in a quiet place and teach you His will. It doesn't have to be a beach or a mountain, it's more about a place where you can let the worries of the world go and seek Him. My wife loves to get on the lawn mower, clear her mind of worldly things and just talk to Him. I have a friend who loves to sit on his back deck at night by himself and watch the stars while talking to Him. God loves for His children to seek Him and promises if we will we will find Him.

While nothing supernatural or spectacular happened to us we did grow in our appreciation of how God loves His children and by following the Holy Spirits leading we came to understand how He works in even the little things of our life to bless and guide us down the path He wants us to walk.