His Solitude with Us. When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship- when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. Notice Jesus Christ's training of the Twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were confused. His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn't understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26).
As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person's struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him.
Personal Application: My Grandpa has had a pretty big impact on me throughout the years. He has taught me a lot and encouraged me in many aspects. One aspect, however, I disagree with is his devotion to success in this world. I don't think it is bad to make money in this lifetime, but to have that as our focus is something else. If you have ever taken a college business class you probably know what I mean. Their focus is work, work, work, and be successful. We must be sensitive to the world trying to pull us more and more towards it, and further and further away from the things of God. I know many times I am more concerned with my own ideas, my own goals, my own friendships, my own body, than God. I pray that I may find the place of total devotion and "aloneness" with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Note: I don't know if anyone even reads this thing regularly, but if someone does it would be cool to have some of your thoughts or whatever. Just sign up and post them on the forum. You don't have to use your real name when you register if you don't want to:)