Quietness and Trust
Scripture
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
16 You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’
Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
at the threat of one;
at the threat of five
you will all flee away,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
like a banner on a hill.”
18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:15-18).
Reflection
In the busyness of life, we all form strategies, make decisions, and devise plans. When we are swept in the tide of the many things we have to do, we might feel overwhelmed as we try to navigate all that’s going on. The more important we consider the goals we set for ourselves, the harder we work to achieve them. The harder we strive in our achievements, the more we prioritize our goals. The ongoing cycle continues.
Isaiah 30:15 reminds us that our salvation is found not in our achievements and accomplishments, but in repentance and rest. Our strength is found not in our strategies and plans, but in quietness and trust.
The Lord’s message to the obstinate children of Israel revealed that they would have none of this. Rather than resting in God, trusting him for what he had promised, they went their own way. Their vast numbers would be put to flight by a few, and those left would be cut down to stand alone as a warning to others. Had they returned to God in faith, rather than depending on their own devices and alliances, there would have been no need to fear, no need to flee. They would have seen God’s salvation.
Are you feeling disquieted, defeated? Know that there is rest in Christ; he is able to quiet your soul. Trust him and let him replace your fear with confidence; let him replace your worry with peace. Come to him in repentance and experience his grace and mercy. Seek him and his will; as verse 18 tells us, blessed are all who wait for him.
Prayer
Thank you Jesus that in repentance and rest is our salvation, in quietness and trust is our strength. Your plans are always good, and your promises never fail! Help us to look to you in the many challenges we face day by day. Amen.
2024 Lenten Journey
Adrian Brown