In the quietness…

             Lately it has been very challenging to have some quiet time to myself. I miss that so much. I love people and being around people, but I must have quiet time too or I turn into this person that I do not like very much. This morning I woke up before anyone else. Our son’s friend was snoring on the couch, our son was still asleep, my mom, who is living with us right now was also still asleep and I had the house all to myself. It was a wonderful gift. I have so longed for that kind of quietness lately. The stillness was so peaceful. I looked out at the blanket of snow and it was a beautiful picture of peace. Nothing was moving except a few birds scratching for food and a bit of a breeze gently blowing the tree branches. So, so peaceful and so quiet. I was truly thankful for that moment in the quiet. Immediately, I was reminded of a Scripture. I hurriedly looked up what I knew of it.

             The Scripture that came to mind both encouraged me and convicted me. Isaiah 30:15 says, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (emphasis mine) I have read this verse many times, but usually not in its entirety. There are both promises and warnings in it I think. As I sat in the Pink Room enjoying the stillness, I read the verse over and over. I was longing for the quiet. I was longing for time with my Lord in the stillness of the morning. I was longing to hear from Him, to feel the warmth of His Presence. I needed His strength. I needed peace. He gave it to me. All I had to do was sit quietly and listen. He is so good. There is no peace like the peace He gives.

               The warning that I saw in this verse really caught my attention. God told His people that they could have rest and salvation, in repentance. He promised strength through quietness and trust. He promised me the same things this morning. I already belong to Him, for which I am eternally grateful. I am so thankful for the quietness with Him this morning. I am so thankful for the strength. I need it. I need Him. I cannot do the tasks that He has called me to without His strength. I cannot love well without Him and I cannot walk this season or any other without Him.

             The warning: He says that His people “would have none of it.” Whoa! That one hit me like a brick in the quiet this morning. Do I trust Him as I should? Do I depend fully on Him as my strength or do I try to do everything on my own and to satisfy my own selfish longings? Have I repented of the sin in my life? Do I take the time to sit quietly before Him so that He can fill me up in order to be poured out for others? Do you? Have you? I am sure that any of you reading this have days as full as mine. I am sure your time is very precious. I am sure that it is as difficult for you as it is for me to find a quiet place and time to sit with Him in trust and just to listen to what He has to say to me through His Word. But, for me, if I do not, I get into serious trouble, very serious trouble. I become selfish, tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, resentful, along with a host of other negative emotions. I must have time with Him. When I do not, I become pretty useless. And I do not want to be useless. I want to spend every moment loving Him more and loving others better so that they will see Jesus and be drawn to Him. My purpose is to worship Him. It is all about Him, and never about me.

             My quiet time is ending now as I finish writing this. I can hear movement in the rest of the house. I don’t want this time to end. I don’t want to leave this moment. The good news is that I don’t have to. Yes, I have to get out of my favorite chair in the Pink Room. I have to put my Bible away and I have to get busy with the rest of the day. But, I do not have to walk away from Him. I can talk to Him throughout my day. He is ALWAYS there. He goes before me and walks with me. All I have to do is walk with Him. Even in the busiest times, if I listen closely enough, I can still hear Him saying, “Terry, it is in quietness and trust that I will be your strength today and every day.” Can you hear Him saying something like that to you? Shhh….listen….quietly listen. Take time to breathe in the only oxygen that can truly fill your spiritual lungs. Breathe deeply, very deeply as if your life depends on it, because it does. Before I get up, I am taking in a few more deep breaths. In and out, in and out I inhale His peace. I inhale His promises. I inhale His love, healing, comfort and joy. Things are getting noisy out there in the other rooms. Things are started to wake up outside. It’s time. Deep breathing. Time to get moving. But I am not moving alone. He moves with me like two beautiful dancers move…together. He is with me. He IS my oxygen. He is my strength. He is hope. He is love. He is peace. He is the One whom I depend on. He will help me as I move through this day as long as I keep my focus on Him.

I pray that these simple words encourage you today. May God richly bless you with His presence and peace as you walk through your day today.