In Quietness And Confidence

In a previous post, we made the case for us to quickly return to God so that He will return to us. You might have enjoyed it and resolved to return. But you find that it is not so easy and have failed to return. God even had a word to say about that in Isaiah 30.15. “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ But you would not.” God highlighted it, and so should we. Otherwise, we may fail more often than we succeed.

That verse contains one big promise package from God, whichever way you slice it. In it, there is strength, there is rest, confidence, quietness, and yet, some Christians refuse that package. Allow me a minute while I grieve over how foolish believers can be, and I am not excluding myself. Paul, in writing to the Galatians, wondered who bewitched them that they should not walk in quietness and confidence.

He could very well be writing to us, but I must confess that as I continue to work on this series, I am becoming less foolish. I am learning to rest in the finished work of Jesus, confident He will bring my request to pass. My hope is that you, too, are growing in the Lord, letting your strength be in quietness and confidence.

As I wrote that last sentence, I had to concede that our religious leaders are making it difficult for us. How can you believe that your strength is in quietness and confidence when they criticize you for gentle prayers? They charge you to open your mouths wide, lift your voices, and yell your prayers.

As Though Your Strength Is Not In Quietness And Confidence

The other day, a friend watched a pastor gyrating and sweating in prayer and wondered if he would not hurt himself. We discussed this, and I could not help but notice that the same pastors also preach about “not by might or by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

At the end of it all, church members start to think their strength cannot possibly be in quietness and confidence. They do not return, and these believers do not find rest for their souls. So, the same God who says that in returning to rest in the finished work on the cross. According to the verse under review, they are not saved. That is what the Bible says, not me.

It Does Not End There

For the avoidance of doubt, we again quote it here. ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ Unless you return from a physically demanding prayer, you might think your salvation depends on your strength. Your confidence might be in your efforts.

Instead, such people “say to God, ‘No, for we will flee on horses.’ Therefore, you shall flee!
And, ‘We will ride on swift horses.’ Therefore, those who pursue you shall be swift!” Does it seem that the more you ‘work,’ the harder it grows? Right there is your answer. It is a curse from God to those who refuse to find their strength in quietness and confidence. God gave them a way to flee since they refused to return and rest.

If the previous post did not convince you to return, this should. Because, unless you return, you attract a curse. Unless you find your strength in quietness and confidence, your running will never end. Those who chase you will be strong and swift. That shall not be our portion in Jesus’ name. Return to God so He will return to you.

Arguing With God

You will not be the first to refuse to obey God when He asks you to return. Our generation is not the first to reject the quietness and confidence that God offers. At the end of the Old Testament, we see the people of God arguing with Him.

In Malachi 3.7, God says, “Yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ Perhaps that argument resonates with you.

You reject the peace of God and refuse to return to the One who desires to keep you in quietness and confidence. May God give us the grace to return to Him sooner rather than later

Maranatha!