I have just spent the end of last week in hospital. Having been discharged by the urology consultant a couple of weeks ago with a clean bill of health, I was shocked to feel the familiar pain of a kidney stone on the move on 

To be honest it was very inconvenient. I am really busy and have got lots to do. More than that the team at Ignite are really busy and I did not want them to be working really hard and for me to be just laid up! Often we are defined by what we do. It was helpful to listen to some teaching from the Abundant Life Church in Bradford that helped give some clarity on this.

The bible says "Be Still and Know that I am God". Psalm 46:10. It is not in doing that we get to know God it is being still. However, then reality is that "being still" is not just about spending time alone and in contemplation it is about being in God. Knowing Him and getting to understand Him. Remember the time when Jesus calmed the storm? (Mark 4: 35-40)

 ³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

 ³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

 ⁴⁰He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

One of the reasons it has been suggested why Jesus was not afraid is because he had stated where they were going (to the other side). Whatever came against them was not going to stop this happening. However, the disciples seemed to either forget what the destination was or they did not have faith in the declaration of Jesus. 

How many times have we got confidence in the plans and promises of God until something in our circumstances or our situation seem to say something different? I am conscious of the belief that God is my provider but then looking at our situation with one salary and two mortgages it is easier to consider our circumstances than those promises! At times like this it important to stand on the word of God rather than the falseness of that which seems to be all around us. Of course that looks like reality BUT this should not shape our thinking as God has promised to be our provider. So at times like this what do I want to focus on? How about:

" But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

Or

"whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Phil 4:8)

Better to fill our minds with positive, biblical thoughts than the false thinking of our perceived situation.

As disciples it important to know God enough to transcend our circumstances.