And the effect of the righteous will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:17,18

These days, quiet can seem like a fantasy. We are always surrounded by noise. Even when there is no sound, there is noise- noise as we scroll on our phones and noise in our heads. If we do not intentionally seek quiet, it will not exist for us. Everyone is clamoring for our attention- our families, our ministries, our jobs, the media. Everywhere we go, there is noise. The quest for quiet seems like an impossible dream. We are pulled in many directions, and the noise threatens to drown out our peace.

And yet, the Lord promises us quiet resting places. Quiet can be found in the Lord in the midst of the chaos of our lives. Even when the baby is crying and the toddler never rests, our hearts can find rest in Him. Silence is not necessary for quiet. Our hearts can be quiet before the Lord in the loudest of places. Quietness is much more a state of hearts than the absence of sound. 

We know that in this world we will have trials. Trials come in the form of health crises, financial difficulties, broken relationships and broken dreams. Our hearts are tempted to run and hide or to cry out in grief, anger and confusion. But with the Lord, the quiet comes. We can trust in His goodness. Amid the pain and the noise, He calls us to quiet places, secure dwellings, peaceful habitations. In Him, we can rest. Our peace is found in Him. 

The Challenge to Trust

Our challenge is to quiet our hearts before the Lord, to trust Him to fight our battles. When we try to do everything ourselves, we are weary. We can never meet the demands of others, much less the expectations we put on ourselves. Our striving will never be enough to satisfy ourselves or others. When we surrender to God and His will for our lives, we find the quiet we so desperately need. He ministers to us and we can rest, knowing that God is good and He cares for us. 

It is vital that we set aside time each day to read the Bible and pray, to be quiet before the Lord as He speaks to us and guides us. This can set the tone for our lives, so that even in the moments when the world is screaming, we can still experience quiet in our hearts, a quiet that comes from knowing who God is and who we are in Him, beloved daughters of the King who have nothing to fear.