It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
—Lamentation 3:26
Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted” (Isaiah 7:4). “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). Such words reveal to us the close connection between quietness and faith. They show us what a deep need there is of quietness, as an element of waiting upon God. If we are to have our whole heart turned toward God, we must have it turned away from man, from all that occupies and interests, whether of joy or sorrow.
God is a being of such infinite greatness and glory, and our nature has become so estranged from Him, that it requires our whole heart and desires set upon Him, even in some little measure, to know and receive Him. Everything that is not God, that excites our fears or stirs our efforts or awakens our hopes or makes us glad, hinders us in our perfect waiting on Him. The message is one of deep meaning: “Take heed, and be quiet”; “In quietness…shall be your strength”; “It is good that a man should…quietly wait.”
Scripture abundantly testifies how the very thought of God in His majesty and holiness should silence us: “The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20); “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God” (Zephaniah 1:7); “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation” (Zechariah 2:13).
As long as the waiting on God is chiefly regarded as an end toward more effectual prayer, this spirit of perfect quietness will not be obtained. But, when it is seen that waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness—one of the highest forms of fellowship with God—the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a holy stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself.
Though at first it may appear difficult to know how thus quietly to wait, with the activities of mind and heart for a time subdued, every effort after it will be rewarded. We will discover that it grows upon us, and the little season of silent worship will bring a peace and a rest that give a blessing all day.