Oh, Be Quiet!

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Oh, Be Quiet!

Depending on how it is said, the command to 'be quiet' could be quite offensive - especially if you are in the middle of a sentence. Have you ever felt like two cents when you were making a major argument in defense of yourself and the other person interrupts with: "Oh, be quiet?"

To 'be quiet' does not only mean to close your mouth and cease from talking.  It could mean an inner quietness - to be quiet emotionally. Do you know what  it's like to have a noise raging inside you and it becomes so loud and disturbing it affects how you feel physically? One could become very agitated and sharp with their family. Or you could become very sleepy and feel like going into a dark room, curling up into a ball and sleeping your anxieties away.

Sometimes when we look at our circumstances, the waves of doubt and despair crash in on the shore of our minds. Other times we look at situations outside ourselves and see how others are prospering and their families are being blessed while we are plagued by disappointment and defeat. The noise inside becomes deafening - so loud that we cannot even hear His sweet whispers to our troubled hearts.

King David was inching towards his final days on earth and he was reflecting on the storms and trials he had personally passed through and yes - survived. There were occasions earlier in his life when sinners seemed to have the upper hand - times when those who wanted to do-him-in seemed to be getting all the breaks, almost as if the Lord was blessing them while David languished in fear and doubt. On a particular day, in one of those contemplative and reflective moods, he allowed himself to be used by the Lord to write a psalm that would be a rich blessing to many who would follow him.

".Fret not yourself because of evildoers. they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good.

 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

 Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

(Psalm 37:1-8)

Quieten down. Relax your shoulders. Bend your knees. Bow your head and lift your heart to the Lord and rest in His presence. Allow Him to untie the knots that have formed in your stomach as you think about the future. Fret not over the harsh words spoken or the way others are getting ahead despite the way they are acting. Just trust in the Lord and keep on doing good; keep on doing what you know to be right.  Stay close to the Lord and enjoy Him. Delight in Him and wait patiently for Him. The more time you spend with Him (as your read, meditate and prayerfully study His Word), the more delightful He will become.

Notice it says: fret not - it tends only to evil. When you are prompted to do something because you are fretting - the outcome is usually not good. Do not act in haste when you are experiencing inner turmoil or anger or extreme restlessness. Quieten down. Be still before the Lord.

Dear Child of God bring that heavy load you are struggling under just now - bring it to the Lord and spiritually and mentally decisively leave it there. Find your confidence and consolation in Him. And just in case the verses above didn't help you, try these: "God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:1,10.

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay

peter@heaven4sure.com