Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during February 2022]

As I prepare to put fingers to keyboard for this week’s reflection, I am presented with an empty screen, a blank page waiting for the words that will, hopefully bring a message of challenge or encouragement to those who read them. But the page is not entirely blank; there is a placeholder for the title and any references, and the standard header and footer are visible.

Could it be that the empty page reminds us of our spiritual life? God has his place but our relationship with him is limited to a formal salutation at the start and end of the day and there’s nothing in between. There are numerous worthwhile resources available to help make these times more meaningful but, of themselves, they are insufficient. We need to try to follow the examples of Abraham and Moses who talked ‘with’ God rather than just ‘to’ him. Devout Muslims are expected to pray five times each day – surely we cannot be satisfied with less than that.

It is said that nature abhors a vacuum and always rushes to fill it. So it is when an author is faced with a blank page; there is often a scramble to get one’s thoughts written down before they get forgotten. Samuel Johnson, the eighteenth century writer, once noted “That which is written without effort is read without pleasure”. Effort is necessary, certainly, but so is inspiration; without inspiration the effort loses much of its effectiveness.

Editors have the advantage of working with existing texts whereas authors have the challenge of assembling their own raw material. God is the author of the Bible but it has come to us through very considerable effort on the part of translators and editors; reading it should not be a chore but rather something that gives us pleasure.

What else can we learn from a blank page? If we can resist the temptation to despoil it, an empty page can encourage us to pause, to be still and listen to what God might say when his message is not subject to the limitations of language. Like Elijah, we may be in awe of the wonders of creation or preoccupied with problems but it was through the still small voice that God spoke to him. It is with good reason that such periods are called a “quiet time”.

Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.^[1]

Why not pause, and think about that?

[1]: Anon, from Hymnary.org.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 06/February/2022]

Being ill at the start of this year put me ‘out of action’ for a few weeks. I encountered a complete change of pace to my usual busy life, as limited energy meant I could only focus on getting through the essentials of each day.

This recent ‘hiatus’ got me considering how my usual busy-ness impacts my walk of faith, and whether the Lord is encouraging me to get back to the ‘essentials’ of what He asks of me, and think again about how I can best do that. I also wonder if as a fellowship we need to take time to re-examine ourselves and to take stock at the beginning of this New Year.

I’ve been asking myself whether there are times I’ve made being a Christian more complicated than it needs to be. Perhaps it’s just me, but maybe we can all lose sight of the core message of the gospel due to so much activity. Have I been focusing too much on what I’m ‘doing’ rather than finding more time to just ‘being’? We can all get overly busy, not just through our commitments but also from mental and perhaps even ‘spiritual’ overactivity. Some of us don’t have the strength or health to be physically active, but we can all ‘crowd out’ Jesus in our minds and hearts with numerous distractions or spiritual strongholds such as jealousy, pride or bitterness.

Is busy-ness my way or your way, of avoiding other things that we don’t want to face or deal with? Are we striving too much? What is it that we really need to focus on, amongst the demands and responsibilities in life and our Christian service? Are we getting tied up with some things that might well matter, but perhaps should not always be the main priority?

My friend Frank regularly visits primary schools to talk to the children about Jesus & to share the gospel with them. He’s done so on a voluntary basis for many decades. It was from Frank that I first heard the acronym KISS – Keep it Simple Stupid – a principle originally from the world of design which states that ‘designs and/or systems should be as simple as possible. Complexity should be avoided … as simplicity guarantees the greatest levels of user acceptance and interaction’. Frank has taken on ‘KISS” as his approach to sharing his faith with the children. But not because he is stupid, or because he is teaching children, but because he realises that Jesus’ message is simple and can be shared with and understood by everyone. You see it in how he lives his life too. Maybe we need to remember to KISS too (but no-one is stupid!).

The American pastor John Ortberg reminds us of our life’s purpose in his book ‘Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them’. In the chapter on gratitude entitled The Secret of a Loving Heart he states that “we complicate our faith and lives in many ways, but at the core, our purpose is simple: we are called to love”. Ortberg is actually reminding us of the love that God has shown us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God wants us to love Him and each other.

People need to hear about Jesus and we need to tell them. We need to keep our faith simple and our message clear. And maybe you’re reading this and wondering what the gospel message is. The Bible is full of passages proclaiming the good news. 1 John 4: 7-10 is one that came to mind:
‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins‘.

I pray that you’ve been encouraged to think again about what God most desires for you. Just in case it’s never really sunk in, or the demands of life have been drowning out His voice. I don’t think we can hear often enough how much God loves and values us, whether life feels busy or steady. We can always trust in Him.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during February 2022]

In a recent session of ‘Going Deeper’, three church leaders concluded their conversation by discussing their perceptions of heaven. The prospect of spending eternity in a perpetual prayer and praise meeting did not seem to be as inviting as perhaps it ought to be.[1]

We all have our perceptions of what we would want heaven to be like. Some of us might like to think of heaven like a well-prepared golf course where even the wildest hook would land the ball an easy putt from the hole. Other might prefer something more challenging, looking for a mountain to climb or a marathon to run. Those who enjoy diagnosing and resolving problems might regret the absence of machines to repair, software to debug or even injuries to heal.

Jesus trained as a carpenter; perhaps there could be a woodshop where the tools are always sharp, the timber is straight-grained and there is no sawdust to sweep up. Jesus also enjoyed good meals. Surely a taste of heaven would be to have a kitchen with fresh ingredients readily to hand, implements that did what they were supposed to and no cleaning up required.

Whatever our personal preferences, whilst we remain here we can only image what heaven will be like.

In 1999 Bart Millard wrote a song entitled “I Can Only Imagine”. Like the best stories and songs – and prayers – his words were influenced by a degree of personal experience. Millard had been mistreated in his younger years but became reconciled to his father, who became a God-fearing man prior to his death. The lyrics of the song explore the range of reactions that might be the response of someone meeting Jesus face to face for the first time.[2]

Will we dance with delight or be rendered immobile with awe? Will we stand and gaze at his glory or fall to our knees? Will we burst into songs of praise or be struck dumb?

I first encountered this song during the preparations for my father’s funeral, when his grandchildren wanted to sing it during the service of thanksgiving. My initial reaction was that a pop song released by a rock band was not what he would have chosen. However, as I became more acquainted with the words I recognised that the song was expressing sentiments that he, and we, could identify with.

Are our expectations of heaven realistic? Surely, by reason of them being the fruit of our imaginations, they must be inadequate. John, the writer of the book of Revelation, received a special vision of heaven but what he saw exceeded the limitations of language to describe. Despite this, one feature is apparent; there will be plenty of praise and worship, and we will be enthusiastic about it!

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2 v9 [NKJV]

Can you imagine what you might be missing?

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWhmt3qJ73Q?t=2300
[2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwzItqYmII

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during February 2022]

Charles Ryall fell asleep in a railway carriage – no doubt something that many of us have experienced. Unfortunately for Ryall, the carriage was on a siding in an area prowled by man-eating lions and he had left the door open. His objective that evening had been to eliminate one of the beasts but, by falling asleep, he suffered a reversal of that plan. The lion entered the carriage and, not being one to let sleeping hunters lie, he made off with a substantial supplement to his evening meal.

When confronted in confined quarters lions are generally unlikely to lie down to have their stomachs tickled. That makes Daniel’s experience all the more remarkable. In the sixth chapter of the book of Daniel we read the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Many of us will have become familiar with this story from our early years; indeed, it is well known even amongst those who would not realise its Biblical origin.

In its popular telling we tend to focus on the action – or inaction – of the lions but the true focus of the story is found earlier in the chapter. The root cause of the event is jealousy. The high officials of state in Babylon were jealous that Daniel had obtained a higher position than they, and they were determined to eliminate him. Unable to find any fault with respect to the affairs of state, the officials focused on Daniel’s faith in God and they persuaded the king to outlaw public prayer.

Nevertheless, and knowing the consequences, Daniel made no secret of his continuing to pray to God. In due course these officials persuaded the King to, very reluctantly, have Daniel thrown into a den of lions. The next morning the king himself hurried to the den, hoping that Daniel had survived.

Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” [Daniel 6 v21-22 NIVUK]

Like Joseph and Nehemiah, Daniel achieved a position of influence in the service of a foreign king but without compromising his faith and his practice of regular prayer. In each case, they were able to discharge their temporal duties all the better for the importance that they placed on personal prayer.

Edward Bounds was a contemporary of Charles Ryall. He wrote extensively about how prayer is essential to God’s work.

Church activities may so engage and absorb us as to hinder praying, and when this is the case, evil results always follow. … “Too busy to pray” is not only the keynote to backsliding, but it mars even the work done. Nothing is done well without prayer for the simple reason that it leaves God out of the account.^[1]

Daniel’s habit of praying got him into trouble. We can pick up two questions from that.
– Do you have any habits or regular practices that could get you into trouble?
– Would you still speak to or about God if you knew that trouble would result?

[1]: “The Weapon of Prayer”, EM Bounds, via CCEL.org

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/January/2022]

In the ‘Connect in Faith’ group this last weekend, the theme was on little acts of kindness and I was introduced to a song I hadn’t heard before, some of the words of which are:

Little deeds of kindness
Little words of love
Make this earth an Eden,
Like the heaven above

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus was speaking about things which had been lost, but then found. One was about a shepherd who lost one of his sheep, then left the remaining 99 to go searching, then found the lost sheep and came home rejoicing; another was about a woman who lost one of her 10 silver coins, but then found it and asked her friends to rejoice with her. He talked about their joy in finding what they had lost and said

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15: v10

I hadn’t looked at it in this way before, but it is almost as if the angels recognise the sinner as one who is lost and are thrilled when the sinner repents, or ‘is found’, if you like.

The next parable that follows this is that of the prodigal son, which will be familiar to many. In this story, the wayward son falls on hard times after squandering his wealth and then comes to his senses and returns home. In this case, it was hardship that brought him back to his senses, but in other instances in life, it is a kind word, or a kind action that is what touches an individual and makes them draw back from the path of destruction.

You may know such people, you may have been in that position, ever grateful for that little act of kindness. You may also have been the one who performed the act of kindness and the chances are that you didn’t realise the impact it had.

Jesus tells us that when He comes back to judge the nations, the sort of acts He will count as worthy will be simple acts that any of us can perform.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
Matthew 25: v35-36

As you go into the week ahead, why not resolve to be kind in any way you know, no matter how insignificant it might seem, for that act of kindness could be what makes the difference to a lost and weary soul, and cause the angels to jump up and cheer again.

Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.

Bible dates: Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.