There is a quiet place
Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind
Sheltered by tree and flow´r
There in my quiet hour
With Him my cares are left behind
Whether a garden small
Or on a mountain tall
New strength and courage there I find
Then from this quiet place
I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind
These are the lyrics from a Christian song that was popular in the 1990’s. It paints a beautiful picture of spending time alone with God. In our busy world “quiet” is a seldom-found commodity. Sights, sounds and activity constantly surround us. While the technology boom has brought many improvements to our lives, it has also created a world where we are bombarded with alerts, ringtones and the sounds of other people’s conversations. Although it is difficult to find a quiet place, we need one now more than ever.
The Bible contains numerous scriptures that refer to being quiet and resting. Here are just a few:
“Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.” (I Samuel 12:7)
“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” (Psalm 62:5)
“So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:26)
“Too much activity gives you restless dreams.” (Ecclesiastes 5:3)
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness andconfidence is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
“But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today”. (Exodus 14:13)
“But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory” (2 Chronicles 20:17)
“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams” (Psalm 23:2)
Many scriptures in the New Testament give accounts of Jesus going away by himself to a quiet place to pray. In Mark 6:31 he advised his disciples to do the same thing. In Mark 6:31 he told them” “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”
It is only in times of quietness and rest that we can really get in touch with ourselves – and God. The first stanza of the song says:
“There is a quiet place
Far from the rapid pace
Where God can soothe my troubled mind”
We need to carve out some time every day to get away from distractions and just be quiet, connect with and listen to God. It’s not so much that God needs the quiet. As T.W. Tozer said, “An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.” If God can love each one of us and hear all of our prayers at the same time, apparently He is the ultimate multi-tasker. So it’s not God that needs the quiet, it is us. He created human beings with a daily need to renew and recharge and that is only accomplished in our “down time.”
“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” ~William Penn
So today – and every day – make some time to unplug and just “be”. Be still and know – recognize – meditate on the fact that He is God. Everything else will fall into place.
