“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
A friend and I met for lunch one day recently. It had been a while since we’d been together, so we needed a place that was quiet enough for easy conversation without shouting over the background noise. A quiet eatery is not always easy to find, but we succeeded. We spent a couple of hours just relaxing and catching up (and yes, eating cookies).
We live in a fast-paced, noisy world. Have you ever sat at a traffic light with the loud, throaty beat of music from the car beside you rocking your car? Or, have you been quietly shopping when the peace is suddenly destroyed by the harsh voice of an irritated mom scolding her whiny child? Noise. Everywhere we go seems filled with noise.
Is there no place to escape the clamor of everyday life? Would sudden quiet startle us? Have we become so accustomed to the noise and jangle around us that we never seek time alone with our own thoughts? Perhaps we have lost the ability to sit in quietness.
The noise of society does more than drown out the soft rustle of a breeze or the songbird’s melody. Noise deafens our ears to the voice of God. While He can speak as the thunder, most often He comes to us as a “still small voice.” Words of love and tenderness do not typically come with a shout but as a soft whisper. We lean in close to hear His quiet words.
How do we bring quietness into our souls? Within God’s Word we discover ways to silence the noise around us and to fill our souls with His peace.
- Keep your mind focused upon God.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)
- Pray instead of worry. One brings quietness; one does not.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 ESV)
- Be intentional about shutting yourself in with the Lord.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” (Psalm 62:5, ESV)
Many refer to their personal devotional time as “quiet time.” This is an apt description of how we should meet the Lord. He instructs us that when we pray, we are to enter our closet—a place of seclusion—and “shut the door” (Matthew 6:6). The closed door will silence the noise of daily life that would distract us from hearing His voice. Here He speaks heart to heart. It is in this place of stillness that we grow in our knowledge of Him and His greatness.
“Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” (Job 37:14)
The noise and tumult of a raging storm caused fear in the hearts of the disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. In their fear and distress, they cried out to Jesus, who was asleep in the boat. He rebuked the winds and the sea “and there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26). Though the storms of life rage around us, we will find peace in the storm when we invite Jesus into our situation, His presence brings calmness and quiet to our lives.
Lord, I am shutting the door to the world’s noise and the things that clamor for my attention. I know that when I move away from all the distractions, You will meet me there and refresh my soul. In Your presence, I find quietness and peace. My strength is renewed, and I can face another day.
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