Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 14/November/2021]

I have just had some time off work. Things had been quite busy, such that at times, I wondered if it would ever be possible to get off this ‘hamster’s wheel’. It seemed relentless, then thankfully, time off… and it felt like water to someone in the desert.

We didn’t travel anywhere, and I don’t know if it’s the same with you, but when I find I have time off from work, I use it to … well, to catch up with work! This time, though, I managed to help get some things sorted at home. I also caught up with an old friend from University. It was great to reminisce, to see how much we’d changed, and I left him hoping it wouldn’t be long before we caught up again. It made me think about my relationship with God. I don’t keep in touch as often as I should. Yes, I have got him on ‘speed dial’ for emergencies, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to look forward to spending time in prayer with God like I looked forward to the time with my friend, to finish praying and not be able to wait for the next time we talked.

I guess the answer is clear. It should not be duty or guilt that makes me want to talk to God. It should be because I genuinely want to relate to him. In John 6 verse 37, Jesus says that “ … whoever comes to me, I will never drive away”. David in the Psalms says that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy and at His right hand, there are pleasures for evermore. It is well worth spending time with Him.

In the hustle and bustle of life and when things seem quite bleak, surely, like one reaches for the phone to call an old friend to lift one’s spirits, wouldn’t it be great to do that with God?

An article in the UCB Word for today reminds its readers that Job went through a very difficult time and couldn’t understand why. Job had many unanswered questions, but when he began to understand the difference between reason and relationship, he told God, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you”. It says further, “When you can’t find the reason, trust the relationship.”

God had become real to Job. He had gone from knowing of God, to knowing God. That is my desire and I hope it is yours too.

Imagine straying into a desert and being able to call on someone who will not only provide water, but also a way out. Thing is, the more you get to know Him, I’m sure the less you will be inclined to stray away. You will find that He is that Shepherd that leads you out of deserts, to still and restful waters and restores your soul.

So, it’s back to work for me, rested and with a spring in my step. Have a blessed week.

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