Who can you think of that God used in His kingdom’s work that did not spend time with Him?

Moses was on the back side of the desert herding sheep, and had much time for God to speak to him. Instead of ignoring the burning bush, he stopped to check it out. The world would not be the same if God had not used him to lead Israel from bondage and demonstrated His power to them and to us through the ages.

David was also a sheep herder before he was a warrior and king. Most of our best loved psalms were written by him. He spent time communing with God. God still uses the cries of David’s heart to give voice to our deepest laments and soul’s praises.

Well known prophets such as Daniel and Isaiah set the example for the ages to come, as well as played pivotal roles in the history of Israel, and the world. The minor prophets also, such as Hosea, Amos, Joel, Jonah, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Malachi spent time receiving and writing down God’s words to Israel, which we still draw from today to correct and inspire us.

The disciples spent pretty much 24/7 with Jesus, God in the flesh! Determined unbelievers later characterized them as those who “have turned the world upside down”!

The apostle Paul, after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, spent three years in pseudo seclusion, learning from Jesus and then carrying His message to the world. He made very good use of much time in captivity for preaching the gospel, spending quality time with Jesus and then penning much of the New Testament.

We cheat ourselves and the world when we allow ourselves to be distracted by anything from spending time with the Lord of the universe and our hearts. The power to do anything in the kingdom of God comes from Him, no matter how talented, capable, or educated a person is. This is not a secret. Jesus made it clear when He said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5 KJV
It is interesting that He didn’t say without Him we could only do a little. We could only do some things. We might not do as much. No, He said we could do nothing without Him. Zilch. Zip.

That is all the motivation a true Christ follower should need, I would think. We ought not let ourselves be distracted, detained, or derailed from this most important and unspeakable privilege.

“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Luke 12:47‭-‬48 NLT