Wednesday's Whisper

Isaiah 30:15

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: and ye would not.

Good morning, and a Wonderful Wednesday to all of you!

There are two words in the above verse that I want to focus on today: quietness and confidence. Quietness is defined as "free of turmoil and agitation; calm"; confidence is defined as "the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust". The verse also assures us that there is strength in possessing both quietness and confidence. We can surmise then that if we lack quietness and/or confidence, we are not strong.

To be quiet means to be at peace with a firm belief in Almighty God, in spite of the chaos all around us. How do we attain a peaceful demeanor in the midst of evil, confusion, disappointment, fear, frustration, etc.? Only by maintaining a prayer life, and walking in the Spirit can we hope to stay calm; only by trusting the Prince of Peace can we have that peace that passes understanding.

When I was young, a couple attended the same church as my family. I believe their last name was Gilman, and they were in the process of adopting two boys. The process was almost complete, so close to being finished, that the Gilmans had fixed up a bedroom for the boys. They were ecstatic. This childless couple would soon welcome children into their lives! Then something went awry, and the Gilmans were denied the boys. What had been excitement turned into utter devastation. 

Before their disappointment, Sister Gilman sang a song quite often, Blessed Quietness. At service shortly after the upsetting news regarding the adoption, the pastor asked Sister Gilman to sing that song. I cannot recall if she sang another song, but I do recall her saying quietly, "I cannot sing that song tonight because I do not feel that blessed quietness." Life had dealt them a harsh blow, and they were striving hard to maintain a calm in the midst of their personal storm.

Disappointments are a part of life and they hurt deeply, yet we can be quiet and trust when all is not right in our world. Our hope must be planted firmly in our God or we will be uprooted during life's trials. The words to that old hymn, Blessed Quietness, written in 1897 by Manie P. Ferguson, seem fitting for today's spoonful:

Blessed quietness, holy quietness

Blest assurance in my soul!

On the stormy sea, Jesus speaks to me

(He speaks peace to me)

And the billows cease to roll

Wherever our paths lead us today, I trust that we will hear the whisper of peace from the Lord!

Until tomorrow..................