Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,
2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.

Introductory Thoughts

Life is full of pressures. At times, these pressures are so overwhelming that a man must get alone. The Lord Jesus cared dearly for his cousin John. When He learned of John’s death, He was so moved at the event that He desired to get away and be alone. According to the scripture, He got in a ship and departed “into a desert place apart” (Matthew 14:13). If the Lord Jesus dealt with a difficult event in His life by departing and seeking some quiet rest time, it would be wise for Christians to consider the same thing. Life will present difficult situations. The only viable solution will, at times, involve taking a step back and regrouping mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Devotional Thoughts

• (For children): When the following men heard unpleasant news, they got alone with God to heal, and mend, and get courage to go on: Jacob (Genesis 32:6-7, 9-11, 22-24); David (1 Samuel 30:3-6); Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:14). Before Jesus became sin for us, He at times needed to be alone (Matthew 26:36-44).
• (For everyone): Have you recently endured heartrending events? Have you taken the necessary quiet time and rest to properly recover?
• When the Lord sought to depart and find a time of rest, the people heard of His departure and followed Him. What will likely happen when you seek a time of rest and quiet?

Prayer Thoughts

• Ask God to help you get your alone time.
• Thank God for ministering to you in your times of need.

SONG: DOES JESUS CARE?