Searching for quiet is impossible.
We can never be deaf to the chaos around us.
The more you beg and plead for your ears to turn off, your mind cannot. The baby will always cry. Your boss will always spit directions. The news will always vomit from the airways. The deleted app will always be one temptation away. Your spouse will always have information. The neighbors will always gossip. False teachers and preachers will continue to influence your community. Lies will perpetrate and promises will continue to disappoint.
You can barricade your door all day long but it doesn’t stop the world from pounding on your rooftop. Quiet will never happen. It will follow us to the grave.
In the noise of this life, the goal is not to run away and close our eyes to it. Ignorance and faking an escape will only cause heart ache and disillusionment. A quiet space is not a noiseless juncture. We need to search for something real, something rooted in who we are. Christian, it’s time to seek peace, a special stillness of our souls in the midst of a failing world.
Psalm 37 is of hope in the face of the wicked. It is peace in the face of trials. It is stillness as one waits for the Lord’s sovereign will to be brought forth. It is the truth of all that has happened and all that is to come.
Psalm 37
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
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.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
We are called to wait on the Lord. He will uphold us with His mighty and loving hand. As we may seemingly sit in the middle of disarray., seeking peace in the Lord will keep our heads clear and hearts focused on the sovereignty that belongs to our Savior.
We need not embrace the failing humanity as if it is ours to partake of. Remembering who we are and to whom we belong creates a victorious stance, a stillness in truth, and a quiet like no other.
Beautiful blog post. Sweet encouragement. Thank you sweet sister.
coming to your from Anita Ojeda’s page. great thoughts here. pinned.
Learning to rest and receive His peace can be a challenge. It takes being in His presence in the Holy Spirit.