By John Beverly, Reader, Springline Parish
Monday – Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy… Yawn!
I’m reading the Bible in one year. Every day I have a Psalm, a New Testament and an Old Testament passage to read. And I’m rejoicing! I’ve just finished Deuteronomy. That means I’ve now completed the most repetitive, ancient and … not very interesting books in the Bible! To be honest I can’t say that I got a lot out of reading those books.
However, there is something about just turning up. Merely by arriving and doing the stuff you are making a declaration of intent. I might be saying, “Lord, I don’t want to read this stuff but here I am.” I find this in prayer, church services – any divine appointment. By turning up I am making myself available.
And if you turn up then God can use you – can work in you. I’m convinced that showing up is a large proportion of the work in being faithful. God is always present, and we just need to be present to him as well.
Since 1993 I have had a daily routine of spending time in God’s presence. And I’ve found that it doesn’t matter where I am. In quarantine at home, doing the daily amount of exercise that Boris allows me, having a bath (I often take a book with me when I have a soak), and I remember one priest telling me about a bloke who used to go into the loo at work to have a break and meditate on God!).
Thanks for turning up today.
Tuesday – Celine’s Passion
Thanks for turning up today. Yesterday I touched upon the value of just spending time in the presence of God.
Celine, a young woman who went on Alpha because of what she described as her ‘spiritual search’, wrote, ‘I am not entirely sure what happened! Over the course I have grown more and more thirsty for God’s presence like when on a hot, dry summer’s day one gets a sip of cold fresh water, just the right temperature, one wants to drink and drink, and one can never get enough.
‘I am now constantly skipping and laughing and wanting to tell everyone how amazing God is… plus I seem to love everybody! I was seeking to forgive someone, but just seemed to grow more and more bitter and resentful, until I came on Alpha… It’s gone, I have totally forgiven that person and love them too!’
She says that she is now ‘passionately in love with Christ!’ Her inner thirst is being satisfied. She has a new inner light and a new inner love.
It’s worth repeating – if you turn up then God will as well. If you want to experience God, you have to spend time in his presence.
Thanks for turning up today.
Wednesday – The National Lottery
Thanks for turning up today.
Did you hear about the bloke who prayed to God, “Lord, I want to work for you? Please let me win a million on the National Lottery and then I can use it for your service.”
On Saturday he went on to the Lottery website and watched the draw. When he didn’t win, he was soooo disappointed.
He prayed again. “Lord, I want to work for you. Please let me win a million on the National Lottery and I can use it to serve you.”
And again, he watched the draw on the following week. And again, he didn’t win.
After a third unsuccessful week he was beginning to wonder about the theology of unanswered prayer. “Lord, I want to work for you. Please let me win a million on the National Lottery and I can use it for your Kingdom,” he pleaded.”
It was then that a voice boomed down from above. “I’d love to answer your prayer, but can you give me a hand? It would help if you bought a ticket in the first place!”
God does answer prayer. He does work for good in our lives. But we need to do our part as well. We need to spend time with him, listening and praying. That’s like buying the ticket.
When are you spending time with God? When you read these from the website? Out walking, or washing the pots; having soak in the bath; gradually waking up in the morning … or going to sleep at night? Try turning up to the presence of God.
Thanks for turning up today.
Thursday– Nicolas Herman
This is a story about a bloke who turned up to meet with God. It’s from the 17th century … so it’s a sort of history lesson!
This bloke’s name was Nicolas Herman. Wounded as a soldier he wanted peace. He became a brother in a monastery. Because he was uneducated he was only a lay brother and worked at menial tasks such as peeling the potatoes and washing up. He took the name Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection.
However, he soon became known for the deep peace that hung about his person. Others went to him for wise words and advice. He was able to write just enough to send simple letters to people. When he died the letters were collected and published in a (simple and readable) book: “The Practice of the Presence of God”. People were amazed at the wisdom of this simple ex-soldier.
What Lawrence did was very simple – but difficult. In all that he did – peeling potatoes, scrubbing greasy pans, wiping mud off boots – he imagined that he was doing it for Christ. He offered every task, every breath to Christ. By being present to God in this way, God worked in him.
Years ago, I decided to use a “hook” to remind me of God and to try and do what he wanted. So, every time I went to boil the kettle I prayed, “What do you want me to drink, Lord?” The strange thing was that gradually I became a tea drinker instead of a coffee drinker!
Whenever I wash my hands, I pray the Lord’s prayer. I find it really difficult to concentrate all the way through. So simple and yet so tough to do successfully. Find a hook you could use to bring to mind God and to acknowledge his presence with you.
Friday – What’s the Football Score?
I recently heard someone describing an illness in his late teens. Away from home and feeling very vulnerable he feared that he might be dying. At that time, he had yet to become a committed Christian. In the loneliness of his room he had a vision of God who was sat next to him on his bed. In fact, God was weeping for him. My friend’s outlook completely changed. Although his condition remained just as critical, he felt safe. The presence of God changed his perspective on the situation.
Some people are fortunate to have a very real but supernatural encounter with God. However, most of the time we work at spending time in God’s presence and he quietly fills us.
Many years ago, my wife and I joined an Anglican congregation. The priest was a magnetic person who advocated strongly contemplative prayer. Trusting him I decided to go to one of his monthly prayer sessions. Contemplative prayer consisted of imagining God speaking words of scripture to us. We would sit in silence, with our mental image of God (whatever that personally might be) and imagine him speak those words to us over and over for about 15 minutes. So, I might hear God speaking the words chosen for this night’s meeting saying to me, “John, I have redeemed you … I have called you by name … you are precious in my sight and I love you” (abridged from Isaiah 43:1-4).
I have had great difficulty concentrating. My mind wanders. I wonder if the children have gone to bed promptly or if they have engineered some reason to stay up late. How is my favourite football team doing? (they are playing a match tonight). I’m hungry! All kinds of intrusions invade my mind and I have to work hard to come back to the task.
Then, the leader pauses and gives a brief commentary. Apparently, I discover, this is only the phase when we are taking the word into our minds..
For the second exercise we mentally listen to the same words but this time we are taking them into our heart. I don’t understand the difference between taking it into my mind and taking it into my heart … but carry on, struggling again to concentrate.
For the final phase we silently pray the words into those whose lives we feel need to hear the words. This is easier. After an hour we disperse.
Believing I’m missing something, and thinking it will all eventually click into place, I attend several of these meetings. But I have the same difficulty every time.
One day I realize that something has been happening. Or rather, something has happened although I can’t quite put my finger on when precisely. I know, physically, in my gut, that I am precious in God’s sight and that he loves me.
That knowledge has stayed with me for the remainder of my life (40 years later so far). I know I am precious and loved. But God taught me something else. If I want God to work in my life (or if I want to work for God) then I must spend time in his presence. Doing that invites him to do his work within me.
Pray:
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Lord, here I am.
Thanks for turning up again. If you turn up into the presence of God he will do the work.
Saturday – Having Trouble Sleeping?
There are loads of resources to help you come into God’s presence.
This is a reflection from this week’s notes from “Word For Today”. These particular notes are titled, “Having Trouble Sleeping?”
‘You can go to bed without fear … lie down and sleep soundly.’
(Proverbs 3:24)
Insomnia is a terrible thing. At any given time, it affects about 30% of the population. You dread bedtime, toss and tumble all night and walk around exhausted the next day. And when it continues for weeks or even months, it can depress you and rob you of your joy. Is that what’s happening to you right now? Then let God help you. His word says, “He gives rest to his loved ones.” (Psalm 127:2) His promise is, “You can go to bed without fear: you will lie down and sleep soundly.” And if you’re addicted to sleeping pills the Great Physician can heal you. Make this your prayer today: “Father, shine your light on the root cause of my sleeplessness. Whatever anxieties are stopping me from entering into a state of slumber, I cast them on you as instructed, knowing you care for me (see 1 Peter 5:7). Calm my racing thoughts and restless mind. Hel me to be still and know that you are God (see Psalm 46:10). I submit to your command not to worry about anything but to pray about everything instead. I bring my needs to you and thank you for all that you have already done. Your word assures me that if I do this I’ll experience your peace, which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand, and that it will guard my mind (see Philippians 4:6-7). By faith I will lie down tonight without anxiety or fear and enjoy pleasant dreams. Yes, I will lie down and sleep because you … Lord, will keep me safe (see Psalm 4:8). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
This set of daily readings is FREE from
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Or email ucb@ucb.co.uk
Another excellent resource is Lectio 365 which is an online/phone thingymejig that provides a 12-minute Bible reading and prayer every day. This is what I am delighting in using at the moment … if you can work out how to download it!
Just put Lectio 365 into a search engine.
Remember – if you want to experience what God wants you to do you have to spend time in his presence.
Thanks for turning up this week. I promise that if you turn up for God regularly he will do some good work in you.