Finding an Ever Present God: A 5 Day Bible Plan With Austen HardwickSample

Day 2: Surrounded by God

Following on from yesterday's dramatic road-race of Paul, it is a relief today to find that God's activity has no epicentre. Through praise-driven poetry, David realises that wherever our pin is on the map, God lands on it with us.

Reflect: It is often during the night that our fears and worries reach their crescendo. With sleep as our only battle, a million thoughts cascade into our minds and we often feel more alert than during fatigued daylight hours. We then enter a cyclical dialogue, knowing that our inability to rest will impact our focus the next day and so on.

I need to know David's God. Wherever I find myself, I need to know that God is within reach, that the darkness conjured by my stack of worries is well within his daylight. In the silence of the dark, we are often irrational, yet the morning brings so much hope with the rising of the sun and the fresh hope of birdsong. David knew that wherever he was, God knew it too.

I'm a runner and running helps me to sleep. The wonderful rest as I lift my legs into bed at night after a long run of ten miles or so is a great sensation. The best shoes for runners are found through a gait analysis, a camera reading of how my foot hits the ground which tells me the type of support I need and in which areas. By following this, I am fitted to run comfortably over the many miles ahead.

I'm not always conscious of it, but David speaks about the Spirit being always with us. We can never escape it. If this is true, then the strains I suffer and the challenges I face need fresh analysis. Perhaps they have started to impact the way I walk, out of balance leading to further injuries of physical compensation? Whether in darkness or making my bed in the depths, the Spirit's presence shines.

Prayer: Ever-Present Spirit, grant me good rest in your presence today. Amen.