Depending on how it’s said, the command to ‘be quiet’ could be quite offensive – especially if you’re in the middle of a sentence. It can be rather embarrassing when you’re trying to explain your point of view and someone shuts you down with “Oh, be quiet!”
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? It can become so loud and disturbing it affects how you feel. 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. Perhaps you are somewhere on that spectrum today.
When we take our eyes off Christ and stare at our circumstances, the waves of doubt and despair crash in on the shores of our mind and we
sink like a dead-weight. There are times when we look at situations outside ourselves. We see others who are prospering and how their families are being blessed, while we are persistently plagued by disappointment and defeat. The noise inside becomes deafening – so loud we cannot even hear His sweet whispers to our troubled hearts.
King David was inching towards his final days on earth. 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. There were times when those who wanted to do-him-in seemed to be getting all the breaks. Was the Lord aiding and blessing them, while David languished in fear and doubt?
On a particular day, in one of those contemplative and reflective moods, David 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 [be quiet] 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 their attacks and tactics. 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 we spend with our Lord, meditating and prayerfully studying His Word, the more delightful He becomes. Our perspective changes and our hearts are soothed.
David added: “Fret not – it tends only to evil.” When you are prompted to do something because you are fretting, the outcome is usually not good. Remember you have a big God. There are things He is totally qualified and well able to handle – and you are not! And for the things that are within your sphere of responsibility – 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 your heavy load 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
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