Pause

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7

What’s causing anxiety in your life right now? Maybe it’s starting a new job and trying to keep up with the learning curve. Maybe it’s balancing your finances and trying to make ends meet. Maybe it’s navigating parenthood, marriage, or the complexities of any relationship. Maybe it’s an illness, a fight, or a major disappointment. No matter what it is, it can be difficult to pause the train of thoughts running wild in our minds when anxiety comes on. It can be difficult to be present anywhere than in the midst of what we’re worried or anxious about. 

So, what can we do? Take a tip from the words shared in this passage: cast our anxieties onto God. That word cast is key here. It means: “to throw our anxieties the Lord’s way.” It’s a call to hurl our anxiety, worry, and all the stuff that’s consuming us, over to Him. To know that the Lord can not only handle them but that He wants to handle them. Why? Because He cares for us! In fact, God cares for us so much that He wants us to be fully present in our lives. He doesn’t want our anxieties or worries to cause us to miss a moment of the good He has for us in this life. So this week, give it a try. Cast your anxieties over to God in prayer, giving them over so you can be more present this week!

Scripture: Exodus 24:12

These words come from a conversation between God and Moses. The Lord spoke these words to Moses, calling him to pause and find time to sit in God’s presence. What’s interesting isn’t just the words themselves, but when God chose to speak them to Moses. He didn’t say them when Moses had all the free time in the world or all the worries in his life washed away. He didn’t say them when things were calm and peaceful and easy for Moses. Instead, God called Moses to come and sit with Him—to pause and be present—in one of the craziest times of Moses’ life! He said it when Moses was in the thick of leading God’s people to the Promised Land. 

Why this moment? Maybe in an effort to show both Moses and us the value of the pause. We all have reasons not to be able to pause. We all have reasons to keep going, to push off rest, to not find time to sit in the presence of God. But, as we can learn from this call to Moses, there’s value in the pause. It’s what God calls us to do—to find time to pause in His presence and spend time with Him. What would that look like in your life? This week, take time to pause, be still, and spend time with the Lord to see what He has for you there.

Scripture: Exodus 20:8-10

In faith communities, we hear the word Sabbath a lot. If you grew up in church, it’s probably a word you heard used to describe Sundays or something listed in the Ten Commandments. Even if you’re new to faith or church, you’ve likely heard it or the concept around it. The Sabbath gives us a chance to pause and rest. It’s something modeled for us in the way God made the world. The story of creation reminds us that God worked hard for six days before taking time to rest on the seventh. It’s the model—the structure—for how we can shape our weeks. While we may be busy, we’re still called to pause. 

To rest from the things that worry, distract, stress, or demand too much from us. To Sabbath. Of course, there’s no formula here. Sabbath doesn’t have to be on a Sunday. It doesn’t have to be a sleep-all-day-and-do-nothing kind of thing. It doesn’t even have to be overly spiritual. It can simply be a pause that gives you time to do something you enjoy—something that gives you rest. Cleaning your room, spending time with friends, going for a walk, reading, and spending time with the Lord—these are all great ways to find rest. So this week, think about what Sabbath looks like for you. Then, give it a try!

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

This passage comes from words Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. As a leader in the early Christian movement, Paul made his life’s work growing the church. He traveled to different places, starting new churches and building up leaders in the faith. Then, when he’d move on to the next place, he’d continue to write letters to those in the places he left behind as a way to encourage and guide them. So when we read the words from Paul’s letters, we can be sure we’re reading valuable words that he really wanted fellow believers to know. And well, the same is true for us! 

God wants us to know that we don’t have to spin our wheels or waste our worries on the things that are happening in our lives. The busy schedules, the hard days, the worries about what’s to come—we have something to do with all of that. We can give it all to God! We can present our requests and worries to Him in prayer, thanking Him for the peace promised us on the other side. It’s a peace that will not only give us calm in the pause but will protect our minds from worry. Today, take your requests to God in prayer, following the lead of this verse and asking for His peace to meet you when you do.

Scripture: Psalms 4:8

When was the last time you had a sleepless night? Whether it was only for a moment, or it lasted for hours, or it was a full-on all-nighter with insomnia, you know just how miserable it is if you’ve been there. Spending the night watching time pass with worry while the rest of the world sleeps and struggling through the day on little-to-no sleep? Not fun! It’s difficult to be present when you can barely stay awake! 

The next time you’re struggling to be present in the midst of worries and stress so great they keep you up all night, remember this verse. Remember that the Lord is there with you, both on busy days and quiet nights. He is there to guard your heart and mind, keeping you safe from the worries you carry with you as you go to sleep. To help keep this in your mind, memorize this verse. Use it as a reminder of the presence of God with you as you lie down and sleep or a prayer when your stress and worries threaten to keep you up. Say it aloud or in your mind when you need help taking a breath, pausing, and resting in the Lord.

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:13

Sometimes it can be hard to sense God’s presence around us. There are so many distractions, so many things competing for our time and attention, and so many places to focus our energy and thoughts. That can make connecting with God and being close to His presence all the more difficult to do. The good news is, we have the promise of this verse to remind us what’s true: God is always there. We don’t have to work hard to find Him or look for Him as if He’s hidden from us. Instead, we can trust that He’s there. 

If we seek Him with all we have, we’re not going to be left with nothing to show for our search. Rather, we’ll find God Himself with us, in this and every moment. He won’t leave us to look for His work in our lives without help or an answer. If we seek God, we’ll find Him. It’s as simple as that! What would it look like for you to seek God in your life this week? Take time to talk with a trusted friend or small group leader about how you can seek the Lord in your own life. Then, make time to do just that, trusting that when you do, you’ll find Him there all along!

Scripture: Psalms 73:28

The word refuge stands out in this line from a psalm. By definition, it means, “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble” or “something providing shelter.” In other words, a refuge is a safe place to go when everything is falling apart. It’s a quiet place to find rest. And in the busyness of life, a refuge sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Well, this verse reminds us that we have access to a refuge. 

As followers of God, our refuge is in Him. When we choose to pause and be in His presence, we get so much more than just rest. We get refuge from everything happening around us—the worries, the stress, the schedules, the busyness, the drama, the anxiety, and more! God is our safe place in all of that, so why not pause to find refuge in His presence when you need it most? Today, make a list of things that may be worrying or stressing you out. Write down the things that are causing you to wish for refuge in your everyday life. Then, on top of that list, write, “The Lord is my refuge” in big, bold letters. Let it be a visual reminder that, in the midst of anything threatening your peace or sense of safety in this life, you have a safe place to rest in the Lord.

Scripture: Exodus 33:14

The Lord spoke these words as a promise to Moses. In the midst of leading God’s people to the Promised Land, Moses was weary. He’d stepped out in faith and trusted God, going to follow His command to lead His people out of captivity. And honestly, this was scary business. It was dangerous, it was difficult, and it was certainly something Moses couldn’t do on his own. It was a lot of responsibility for one guy, and at this moment, Moses was feeling it. So, he did the only thing he knew to do: Moses went to God directly. He had enough faith to step up and speak out—to pause and get with God in His presence. In that pause, Moses asked God to remind him that He’d be with him every step of the way. And the Lord’s reply to Moses here is important for us to remember too! When we pause and take time to be present with God, we’ll find Him there. We’ll find rest in His presence. We’ll find the truth that we’re never, ever in it on our own; rather, we’re surrounded by the presence of God. This week, memorize these words from the Lord. Let them be a reminder that there is nowhere you’ll go in life that God’s presence won’t be with you to give you rest.

Scripture: James 4:10

For many of us, humility doesn’t come easy. We struggle to slow down, to pause, to consider what we could do better or where we’ve fallen short. It’s not easy to admit we need help. It’s hard to say, “I’ve got some things to work out in my life, and I can’t figure out how to do it on my own.” For most of us, uttering words like that would be a stretch! But here, James reminds us of the value of humility. When we come humbly to the Lord and ask for His help, we aren’t left to wonder what will happen. We can be sure that in our humility, God promises to lift us up. What does that mean exactly? Well, God will respond to our humility by helping us, holding us, leading us, and ultimately lifting us up to be a new, better version of ourselves. So, think about something in your life where you need help. Where is it that you need to see God’s presence lift you up? Take that to the Lord. Find time to get in His presence. Think about what it would look like for you to come humbly before the Lord. How can you take your needs to Him in humility?

Scripture: John 1:14

There are so many incredible things about the gift of Jesus coming to Earth. It was a demonstration of God’s love for us. It was a chance to change our lives. It was a rescue from the weight of our sins and a glimpse of the hope we can have for the future. But one of the biggest things Jesus came to bring us was His presence. As John reminds us here, Jesus became flesh to live among us. He came to be a physical reminder of the presence of God with us in everything. Then, leaving Earth, Jesus gave us another gift: His Spirit. 

As followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in us to love us, guide us, encourage us, and help us follow God’s will for our lives. Because of the Spirit, we’re never without the presence of God in our lives. Sometimes, all we need to do to remember that truth is to pause in that presence. So this week, make time to do just that. Think about what it might look like for you to find time to pause so that you can sense God’s presence through His Spirit. Then, carve out time to do that intentionally so you can meet God in His presence this week.

Scripture: Psalms 139:7

In the Bible, the book of Psalms is regarded as one of the most beautiful and honest portions. It’s filled with honest prayers, beautiful songs, and impactful truths. They’re made up of real words written by real people who were experiencing real things in life. In other words, they’re written by people who were just like us! And that’s what makes words like these so valuable to us. They’re words we can use in our prayers and pleas to God. Here, the psalmist is talking about the presence of God. No matter what is happening, what we’ve done, or what struggles we’re facing, we can rest assured that God is with us. Because, as the psalmist wrote here, there’s nowhere we can go that God’s Spirit won’t find us. 

Sometimes we struggle to sense that presence. Maybe we’re struggling through a breakup, or dealing with a disappointment, or facing a terminal illness, or simply just trying to get through a hard day. Whatever it is we’re facing, this psalm is a great reminder that God is with us in it. There’s comfort in knowing that there is truly nothing that can separate us from God’s presence with us. Take time to be still in God’s presence today. Let each breath you take be a reminder that God is with you in whatever you’re facing.

Scripture: Genesis 28:15

Have you heard the story of Jacob and Esau? If you have, then you probably know just how complicated it can be. As brothers, Jacob and Esau were each longing to receive a blessing from their dying father. However, Jacob, the younger of the two, stepped in and stole the blessing that was due Esau. The result? A broken relationship that left Jacob on the run. So, when God spoke the words from Genesis here, He was speaking them to Jacob during a really difficult time in his life. He was meeting Jacob in the middle of a really, really, really big mess. And this is huge! Because in our own messes, we can be tempted to believe that God isn’t with us. Whether He’s left us to deal with it on our own or we’re simply trying to keep our distance because we don’t want God to see our mess, we often feel we’re struggling through it alone. 

That’s what makes these compassionate words to Jacob so important for us today too. In the mess, God is with us. Wherever we go, God is going too. And with that, God promises not to leave us. He won’t abandon us or forget about us, no matter the mess we find ourselves in. So today, pray that God’s presence would show up in the middle of your mess.

Scripture: Psalms 23:4

What struggles are you facing in life right now? A difficult divorce or devastating breakup? A job loss or change? A major move or stressful season in your family? A new diagnosis or chronic illness? No matter what it is, the things we’re walking through can feel a lot like what this psalmist described: the darkest valley. We can’t see a way out, and we aren’t sure how long we’ll be stuck there. In the valley, there’s so much to be afraid of or worry about. The thought of having to walk through it even for a moment can feel overwhelming. 

Thankfully for us, the verse doesn’t end in the valley. Because yes, while we have to walk through dark valleys in life, we don’t have to do it alone. God promises to be with us. He promises to bring comfort while we’re in it. He promises to walk us through it, step by step. So, while we may want a quick fix or an easy escape, what God offers us in the valley is so much more valuable. His presence and His comfort can change everything for us—not just in the valley but well beyond. Try to commit this familiar verse to memory today, letting it remind you that God is with you in whatever valley you may find yourself in this season.

Scripture: John 14:16

One of the greatest things about God is that He never wanted us to be alone. Life is hard, darkness looms around us, and the weight of sin is palpable in this life. Without comfort or help, who wouldn’t want to just throw in the towel and give up? Thankfully, God knew we’d need a presence to go with us in this life. For those who lived while Jesus was alive on Earth, His life served as a tangible reminder that God Himself was there alongside them. But for those of us who live on this side of the cross, God gave us the Holy Spirit to do the same. He didn’t leave us alone when Jesus left this Earth; instead, He left us with a helper, an advocate, a gift of His presence. 

As believers, we can listen to the Spirit’s leading in our lives and trust that we are never alone because God’s Spirit lives inside of us. Because of the Holy Spirit, we’re never without God’s presence. In the best moments and the worst, we’re never alone. So this week, ask God to remind you that His Spirit is with you. When you find yourself facing major wins and big joys, celebrate in the presence of God. And when you find yourself struggling through heartache and disappointment, ask God to let His Spirit be a comfort to you there.

Scripture: John 15:5

Have you ever attempted to do something really difficult on your own? Not so easy! Who wants to build Ikea furniture, or move into a new house, or deal with car repairs, or do anything challenging by themselves? The truth is, there are so many things in life that we simply cannot do on our own. It’s just easier with someone to help us. Well, our spiritual lives are much the same! Without Jesus, we can do nothing. We simply can’t make it. But with Jesus? Well, then the sky’s the limit! When we’re walking with Jesus and connected to Him, then we can grow in any circumstance. 

We can trust that great things will be produced in our lives when Jesus is helping us each step of the way. All we have to do is connect with God’s presence—to pause long enough to focus on Him. Maybe for you, connecting with God looks like a simple prayer, or a written journal entry, or a worship song, or a sermon. Maybe it’s spending time with a friend who speaks truth or jumping into small group. Whatever it is, find ways to stay connected. When you do, you’ll find that you’re not only capable of getting through hard things, but that you don’t have to do those things (or anything!) alone.