Reflections, September 6, 2009

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Reflections: “Strength in Quietness and Rest ”

“For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Isaiah 30:15

Scripture Reading For This Week: Isaiah 30; 31:1-3; 33:13-24; 35:8,9; Psalm 80...

This is definitely personal today. As I celebrate another year of life—Thank You Jesus!—I realize that wisdom truly does come with age…if you are walking with God. I’m not talking about the wisdom that comes from experience. You know the kind that comes from all the mistakes you’ve made, that you finally get that— you can’t use your head to get through a brick wall!—kind of wisdom. No, I am referring to the kind of wisdom that comes from being in an intimate relationship with the heavenly Father.

I have learned that wisdom and strength can only be gained through times of quietness and rest in the Lord; with the confidence that God not only hears but will answer. That no one, absolutely no one, has the answers that you need in life, other than the Lord God who has created you. And if by chance, someone comes up with a profound, wise answer or comment that you can actually use; it is only because the Lord God put it there. And so, He gets the glory for the answer, not man.

As always, it is my sincerest prayer that this week’s Reflection, will be a source of encouragement, enlightenment, and food for your soul and spirit. I ask God that He would bless you abundantly with His spirit of favor and joy. And that you would come to know and understand, that your strength lies within your quiet time with God.

There is just too much noise. Too much clutter. Too much going on, that it is a distraction. We find ourselves so busy. Busy doing what? Sometimes I think we don’t even know. It is as if we have been programmed or wired to mundane tasks, that we are now on automatic pilot. We get up in the morning, start our day, and before we know it, it’s time for bed, and we are getting up again, to do it all over. How sad is that?

We cry out to God and ask Him to help us. We cry out, shaking our fists, mad at God because we feel He has not answered us. That He has not heard our many petitions of prayer. The enemy has duped many of us into believing that God is taking too long, or that He truly does not understand.

We ask God, but we don’t wait long enough for His answer. We ask, and we ask, but we are never quiet long enough to hear what His answer is. Have you ever tried to hold a conversation where everyone is talking at the same time? What a confusing and jumble mess! We really need to learn how to be still, to be quiet in the presence of God. What it means to rest in Him.

Don’t you ever just want to shut the world out, all the noise, and get some peace and quiet? I’m sure you do. And once you steal away that time, do you not feel refreshed and energized? I know I do. Your brain has had the opportunity to slow down, and you are not bombarded with the constant activity that life often brings. You can think more clearly.

Here’s the thing: as children of God, God expects us to come to Him. He expects us to seek His will for our lives, and for the decisions that we have to make. He desires for us to seek His counsel. But sadly, many of us have gone to other people, vices, to get the answer that only God can give.

Isaiah 30:1,2 “Woe unto the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me, and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.”

God calls us rebellious when we seek to take counsel of the world; we seek to do things the way the world does; to put our trust in the ways and practices of the world. (Egypt represents the world.) We seek to cover ourselves, to get answers and to find solutions through things that do not include the spirit of the living God. Instead, we seek the counsel of the world, and trust in their ability to get us through whatever we may be going through.

I know that things are most difficult for many, many people lately; especially, it seems, for those that say they love the Lord. It is as though we are getting hit the hardest. Every day something else seems to be happening, and not for the best; and many find themselves seeking answers, or solutions through avenues that God has not only shunned, but forbidden. Have you not seen the increase in psychics? I haven’t seen this much advertisement for psychics since the eighties.

The enemy knows exactly what he is doing. He knows how to lure us in. Since the economic downturn, the business of psychics have increased phenomenally. And the saddest part about all of this; many Christians, those that say they trust and believe in God, have fallen into this trap, and have gone to psychics, diviners, and tarot card readers to get a word!

Trust me; the devil knows what you want to hear. So he makes sure that what you get seems plausible to keep you coming back, while steadily severing your relationship with the heavenly Father. Causing you to become spiritually deaf, dumb and blind.

What we don’t realize is, that when we yield to these vices; when we seek after false revelations, and answers for the questions we have from the enemy, there is a bigger price that is often attached to the tag that we cannot see, that leads us further into the depths of sin and despair, and chaos.

I have learned, and I’ve been around long enough to know, and have been serving the Lord since I was seven, that the answers we seek; the power we desire, the strength we need, is all found in the presence of God. It is found in the quietness and rest of God.

It is not hard to be quiet in God. It’s just that many of us are not used to being still that long. To be quiet in the Lord, is to be in prayer; to be in meditation; to be reading the word of God, and taking the time to reflect upon His word. Quietness in God requires that we seek the will of God, and wait for His answer. It requires that we sometimes sit at His feet, and not ask for anything, but give Him the glory and praise just for being God. Being quiet in God, is learning to wait on God patiently; even when all things around us seems to be falling apart, but knowing that the promises of God is all the assurance that we need that all is well.

When we rest in God, it means that we know that God has our back! To rest in God, requires that we not only understand, but know without any doubts, that no matter what comes around us, at us, that God will deliver us. That God’s will shall go forth. It is having the confidence that God will do exactly what He said.

Resting in God is like going on vacation, so to speak. You have done all you could do to ensure that your house is secured. You have put everything in place. You even hired a house sitter. So while you are away enjoying your vacation, you are not worried about the safety of your home. You have done all that you could do to protect your property. Now, you just have to trust in what you have put in place, and enjoy yourself with no worry. So it is with God. If you have spent time in the Lord, and have nourished your relationship with the Father, then you know that no matter what comes up, you can be sure that God has you covered. Rest in God, means you have the confidence in the Father to know that whatever He says, that’s what it is. He is the kind of insurance that keeps paying out for all eternity, without any loop-holes. You can count on Him.

I like to give gifts to others on my birthday. I have received much, and it really feels great to be able to give to others. So, my gift to you this day is a prayer for confidence and strength in the Lord.

Lord, I ask that you would bless my friends with a spirit of peace concerning all matters of their life. O, that you would bless them with the strength to walk uprightly. Grant them, I pray, a spirit of confidence. Not in their abilities; but in your ability to see them through every trial, every storm, every bump that may come in the road of life. Bless them with the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the heart to receive all that you have ordained for them. Blow upon them the breath of fresh life, and confidence that defies human reality. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May your day be filled with rest and quietness in the Lord. I pray the spirit of peace and prosperity find rest in your: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, and financial lives. Seek quiet time with the Lord. Close your mouth, and open your ears and heart to the still, confident voice of God. Trouble does not last always, but God’s love does. You are Blessed!

©2009. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.