However long you’ve been a Christian, spending time with God as part of our devotional life can wax and wane. We can easily fall into viewing our bible reading as something to tick of our to-do list before we move on with the rest of our day. In the face of that, Linda Allcock has written a clear, Biblical and challenging book to cause us all to pause and refresh our time with God.  \ \ In the first section of the book Linda helpfully draws a distinction between Biblical meditation and what the world understands mediation to be. She draws out the need for us to slow down and orient our minds to hear God’s voice above all the other competing voices in our world. I was challenged to reflect upon how much time I devote to listening to God through his word, compared to other things in my life. I also realized I need to repent of the times I come to God’s word with low expectations for what God will do through his word. Instead I need to be “calling out for insight” expecting God to teach us when I come to him.\ \ The rest of the book is very practically focused with Linda explaining how Biblical meditation might look. She shares and unpacks her five-step “mediation tools” which are ‘Lord, Look Turn, Learn, Live’. Each chapter is full of helpful questions and examples of how we could use this technique in our own time with God.  \ \ I was so encouraged, challenged and inspired by 'Deeper Still' that I went straight from reading it to ordering new notebooks so I could try this for myself. I recently taught a session to our teenagers on spending time with God and wish I’d read this beforehand. I will be wholeheartedly recommending this book to anyone wanting to grow deeper in their relationship with God.\ \ Linda captures so well the delight we long to have when reading God’s word and helpful articulates the discipline need to cultivate that delight. In this time of uncertainty, 'Deeper Still' is a timely reminder to set aside time with our Heavenly Father so we can withstand whatever the world throws at us and rejoice in our Saviour Jesus.

Rachel Sloan, Charlotte Chapel & FIEC Women's Co-Coordinator