A WORD FOR TODAY, June 12, 2026
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you are blessed by this daily devotion.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, June 12, 2026
“But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities. But he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.” Luke 5:15-16, WEB
I attended a spiritual retreat a few years ago, and the teaching theologian suggested a change in terminology. Instead of “retreat”, he recommended saying, “This is a strategic withdrawal.” We use the word retreat for days or weekends we gather apart from our everyday life to focus on something that will uplift, teach, and refresh us. But the word “retreat” also has a negative connotation: it implies running from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable, particularly in war often by force from the enemy. Retreating is a response to conditions outside our control.
Strategic withdrawal is more purposeful, planned. The scriptures give us many examples of strategic withdrawal. After Moses died, Joshua led the Israelites in war against the nations that inhabited the Promised Land. The success was not consistent. Israel won when they obeyed God. They failed when they did not. In Joshua 7, Israel went up against Ai and failed because they did not trust God. However, in Joshua 8 God told Joshua not to be afraid and sent Joshua and the army back to Ai. In this second battle, Joshua established a trap with some of his army, then pretended to be chased away from the city of Ai. This strategic withdrawal led the enemy into an ambush and won a decisive victory for Israel. There are other stories in the Old Testament that show military retreats that were used as a calculated tactic to gain a strategic advantage.
Strategic withdrawal is an act of wisdom, discernment, and preservation rather than cowardice. The New Testament is filled with stories of the apostles leaving cities when threatened so they could continue their work. What is the point of remaining in a place that refuses to listen when there are places that will hear God’s grace and respond with repentance and faith. This is why Jesus told the disciples to wipe the dust off their feet as they left unwelcoming cities. Sometimes we withdraw because God has a better place for us to be.
There are times we need to strategically withdraw to set boundaries. Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.” Note that this retreat of the prudent man is not a fearful reaction but a wise response to the situation. Paul tells us in his letter to Titus that we are to withdraw from those who stir up division or refuse to turn from sin. My family has made decisions about our faith life because we knew that “retreat” was the best way to deal with issues, establishing boundaries for our own spiritual life as well as for the sake of those who rely on our witness.
Jesus often withdrew from crowds or situations because their intent went against the plan of God avoiding confrontation and expectation. Jesus withdrew after feeding the five thousand because He perceived they wanted to crown Him king by force. He seemingly disappeared when an angry crowd in Nazareth wanted to throw Him off a cliff and hid Himself in the crowds at the Temple wanted to stone Him.
Most of all, Jesus withdrew to pray. He often stepped back from the demands of ministry to find solitude so that He could spend time alone with His Father. I suppose that’s what we do when we retreat. It was a time for Jesus to recharge and seek strength. I admit that sometimes my attendance at retreats is about fleeing. I get tired living in our crazy, upside-down world. There are times when it seems like the enemy is in control, that nothing makes sense. I just want to run away to a place where I can avoid the news and just listen for God’s voice.
Remembering, however, that retreat can be strategic withdrawal reminds me to be purposeful about the time I spend, seeking spiritual renewal. In today’s verses, Jesus was at the height of His ministry. People were coming to hear Him, to be healed by Him. Jesus could have given them everything they wanted, but He knew that He needed to strategically withdraw for a moment to recharge to continue the work. His ministry was not simply to make people well; He came to make people whole, and that required constant time in the presence of God. If Jesus needed it, how much more do we?
Jesus often went to the top of a mountain to spend time with God, and I know how much those spiritual retreats help me continue in my own ministry. However, we don’t have to go to a weekend retreat on a mountaintop or at a beautiful camp to strategically withdraw. Sometimes strategically withdrawing simply means turning off your devices and settling on the porch with a cup of something delicious. You can find those moments of peace and connection to God in your daily life. As a matter of fact, it is good to retreat daily, focusing on God in prayer and scripture study. You may have to occasionally flee from the world, but it is better to purposely plan how we respond to the world that tries to weaken the will of God in our lives.
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