Stilling

Cal Sullivan

When writing this week’s reflection, God laid on my heart that many of us are currently experiencing hardships, sorrow and grief but that we are not alone. In times like this, it’s important to remember we are not alone and that our Saviour is with us. (John 14:16-18)

The problem is that often, when all is going wrong, we can feel that we are alone or abandoned and can sometimes lose hope. Just hearing from people that Jesus is with you doesn’t change what we are feeling.

So how can we experience His Spirit in tough times?

We have just recently celebrated Easter. For me, the most important celebration of the year, when we come together as a family and church to celebrate all that our God did for us.

We had the good fortune of going away for a few days after Easter, to a little seaside village in Northumbria. While spending time with my family in a more remote part of the country, what I found was a time to quieten down & to slow down from the rush of our everyday lives.

I found I was able to focus more on Jesus and my relationship with him - on His many blessings (most often not deserved), and also the times of hardship where the real blessing was knowing His presence was with me. I was able to hear Him, to know His love, and to enjoy His creation.

Obviously not everyone will have an opportunity to do this, and often with events happening around us we can’t always take time off. This is where a daily quiet time or time of devotion is so important.

We are currently following a study series on a Monday titled ‘Be Still’, teaching us how to spend time with Jesus in our quiet time. When we focus on Jesus, stilling our minds from the distractions of our daily lives, this is when we often experience Him in a profound way. It’s a time for reflection, to reach out to Him and to listen, when He gives us reassurance and peace, to equip us to deal what we’re going through.

“Be still, and know that I am God” is a well-known biblical phrase from Psalm 46:10, emphasizing surrender, trust, and recognizing God's power over chaos. It calls for calming the mind, ceasing striving, and acknowledging God's sovereignty and presence. The verse offers reassurance that God is a refuge amidst turmoil.
(Bible Gateway)

I would strongly recommend trying and take some time out of day, however small, to quieten ourselves from the outside world and spend time with Jesus and His word.

In closing, I would like to share this Psalm below and hope it brings comfort and peace to all who are struggling:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
(Psalm 121:1-8)