Memorise: It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:16
Read: Isaiah 7:1-7 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;
4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:
7 Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
Bible in one year: Hebrews 1-4, Jeremiah 10:1-16, Hynmal: Sing hymn 5
Message:-
He revealed His thoughts on this to us in Isaiah 32:17-18, saying:
“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; And the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;”
One proof that we have received the gift of righteousness from Jesus after we are saved is the presence of peace in our hearts, and the effect of this peace is quietness even in the midst of adversity. As God’s own special people, He does not want us to panic or be troubled in our hearts like the people of the world are whenever the enemy blows the wind of adversity (John 14:1). In today’s Bible reading, we see a king whose heart melted when he was told of his enemies’ conspiracy against him. In response to this, God sent Prophet Isaiah to deliver His word to him, saying in Isaiah 7:4a:
“….Take heed, and be quiet”
As kings and priests to our God, He says to us the same words He sent to King Ahaz – be quiet (Revelation 1:6). Are you surrounded by the dark clouds of life, with the wind of adversity blowing strongly against you? God is saying to you today, “Be quiet.” You may ask, “Why should I be quiet?” it is because in your quiet submission to God, He will arise on your behalf, and your enemies shall be scattered. No wonder Isaiah 30:15a says:
“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:”
Jesus, our perfect example, was presented as a Man of quiet temperament (Matthew 12:14-20). He did not go around making noise or panicking over situations; rather, He ruled over circumstances around Him by decree (Mark 4:35-39). In order to be like our Master, we are to be peaceful and quiet when in distress, when the enemy rises against us like a flood, and in the face of destructive criticism or rebellion.
In these circumstances, one can only be quiet as a result of faith in God and total trust in His ability to work things out in our favour. In reality, whenever a child of God goes into quiet mode, God takes it as an invitation to step in on behalf of the fellow. You must realise that you are limited in all aspects of life, and stop fighting your battles all by yourself. Switch to quiet mode today and let Jesus take over your case. He will give you the rest that you need, as He promised in Matthew 11:28.
Prayer Point: Father, let Your righteousness continually manifest as quietness and confidence in my spirit in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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