Worshiping God Alone

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.

Matthew 14:23

Jesus Christ was unique in that He was both human and divine. Because we tend to think of Him as the Son of God more than the Son of Man, we often overlook what we can learn from His human experience.

When Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people near the Sea of Galilee, His divine power and prerogatives were clear (Matthew 14:13–21). Yet after this event, we see the humanity of Jesus in ways we should be able to easily identify with. After dismissing the crowd and sending His disciples away, Jesus withdrew to a solitary spot on the mountainside to be alone with God.

How is it that the Son of God needed to be alone with God? While that mystery may remain, one thing is clear: the stark contrast between the crush of a huge crowd and the solitude of being completely alone. Most Christians today only experience the former. Note that Jesus created His solitude by sending the others away. When was the last time you created time for the express purpose of worshiping God by yourself?

People are necessary for many things, but worshiping God alone is not one of them.