Monday Morning Encouragement -- Quiet Trust

 

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;

    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

At the time of Isaiah's prophecy, the Assyrians were attacking Israel and Judah. Soon the northern kingdom of Israel would be conquered and the Israelites taken into captivity. The Assyrians would then turn their sites on the southern kingdom of Judah. Out of fear instead of trust in the Lord, the leaders of Judah looked for salvation from Egypt whom they believed had the power to protect them. But an alliance with Egypt was not in God's will, and Isaiah told Judah's leaders that the results would be disastrous (Isaiah 30:1-5). He was correct.

God had promised to protect His people. He told them to "return" which may also be translated as "repent", and to rest in Him. But Judah was not willing to listen or to obey God. They looked at the situation through the lens of fear, instead of trust in God.

We can take a lesson from Isaiah's account and apply it to our own lives. When we are faced with extreme difficulties, how will we react? Our natural tendency may be to fret and worry, instead of turning to God and seeking His peace. Our Heavenly Father is perfectly capable of handling whatever threat we encounter. We are to rest in Him, and resting requires waiting in quiet trust. There is something so beautiful about this kind of rest. It's more than physical rest, it's spiritual. It's letting go of everything that hinders our peace, and allowing God's love and grace to fill our hearts and minds. It is so precious to trust our Lord this way, and discover a surprising inner strength we didn't know could exist. This is not of our own doing, it is Christ in us.

Today's music video Quietness and Trust by Julie True is a beautiful song that lends itself well to resting in God.

I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.