Cultivating Quiet: Enlisting Help from the Rescuer of Souls
What is Quiet?
As we kick off this series, let’s talk about what quiet is, and what it isn’t.
Cultivating quiet isn’t about pushing yourself to enter some fanciful, mediative state. It isn’t an emptying of your mind or a numbing to the external realities you face.
On the contrary, cultivating quiet is about chipping away at the anxieties, lies, and other assaults that besiege our souls on a daily basis. It’s about removing the ungodly noise and enjoying the God’s true and faithful presence on the other end of it.
And so, if cultivating quiet is about enjoying our relationship with the Creator, it only makes sense that we involve Him in every step of our journey to get there.
That’s what part one is about: calling on the rescuer of souls for the nurture our souls so desperately need.
As we embark on the mission to cultivate more quiet in our hearts, may this verse from 1 Peter inspire us:
…but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:4 ESV
Here, quiet may also be defined as tranquil in its original greek language. Picture a still, peaceful lake: un-agitated, at ease.
God invites his people to come to him, filled with trust, when we require saving help. We see this big time on the cross, and in a million little ways in our day-to-day-lives. This area of seeking to cultivate a quiet spirit is no different. May we go to God first when we are in need.
Where Do We Turn for Quiet?
In Isaiah 30, there is a haunting prophecy rebuking God’s nation of Israel for seeking salvation in all the wrong places. You see, they were in trouble; they made their plans to acquire help—but not according to the Spirit of God. They turned to those around them, to ungodly places. In fact, they actually turned to the places that had once enslaved them (Egypt) in order to secure help for themselves.
And before we write them off as crazy for doing so, let’s ask ourselves a few questions…
Where are you turning for help these days? Are you numbing out anxious thoughts with some lengthy scroll-time on your phone, even though it feels addicting in a way you don’t like? Are you turning to food for comfort—that, while it isn’t bad in itself—draws you into gluttony or over-indulgence that leaves you feeling gross? In what areas does God want to set you free, as you to turn to him to find rest for your soul?
May we never forget that God is rich in compassion and mercy. He was back then, to his nation of Israel, and he still is today. The Israelites sought help in other areas, but may we—by the power of God’s Spirit at work within us—choose to embrace his saving help.
This is what the Lord says about acquiring strength and salvation:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” Isaiah 30:15 NIV
As the hurricanes of life surround us, may we be found in the quiet center, seeking the Lord. This, is where true strength lies.
And as we embark on this journey of cultivating quiet hearts, may we not turn to worldly propositions for quiet, or routes that may result in our enslavement. Instead, may we turn to the rescuer of souls. May we turn to God himself, who loves us.
Continuing in our passage from Isaiah 30—after stern rebuke for turning to ungodly means of help—gracious wisdom is offered to the people of God:
People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:19-21 NIV
Do you see the beauty here? As God’s people cry for help, he hears them. As they banish their idols and turn to the living God (who loves them), they are able to discern good direction and walk in it.
Today, as believers, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to teach us and direct us:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26 NIV
We are in a battle against noisy lies that try to push out the Spirit’s true wisdom and direction. We were made for God’s truth—and the quiet restfulness that comes from believing and walking in those truths.
Humbly Seeking Help
We need to both humbly seek the Lord and his truth, and allow his truth to settle our agitated hearts.
Psalm 131 is a short psalm holding profound wisdom; it encourages us to quiet ourselves as we hope in the Lord. (You can read it here.)
We were made for dependence on God, and the topic of cultivating quiet is no difference. May we adorn ourselves with quiet, as we saw in 1 Peter 3:4—and may that quiet spirit bring grace to both our own lives, and the lives of those around us.
As with any spiritual endeavor, being at the end of yourself is a good place to begin. Approaching the Lord in humility and full dependence sets you up to see his goodness shine forth in gracious provision. So, as we begin this series on cultivating quiet—an uphill battle in today’s society—let’s go to our strong rescuer, believing what his Word says is true:
In Scripture, we are prompted left-and-right to go to the Lord with our needs. A few examples of this are below:
Needing wisdom: We can ask the Lord of wisdom, trusting him to generously provide it. (James 1:5)
Needing care: When we go seeking him and asking, we believe we are met with his fatherly care. (Matthew 7:7-8)
Needing strength: We trust him to be strong in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Needing help: We believe he hears the cries of the distressed one. (Psalm 107)
Needing forgiveness: We believe he is rich with forgiveness for the repentant heart. (1 John 1:9)
A soul desperately in need of quiet is no difference. God is our life-source.
Finding Rescue in the Savior
Psalm 18:16-19 is the most beautiful illustration of God’s heart to rescue his people from harm’s way and bring them to safety. I hope you enjoy it:
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19 NIV
May we remember the truths outlined here as we approach this journey towards quiet. The Lord delights in us, he rescues us, and his faithful care is our sustenance.
May we be strong in his grace. (2 Timothy 2:1)
May we move forward towards the quiet knowing that the safest place to be is at the end of our rope.
If you are hungry for stillness, desperate for a quietness of heart… turn to Jesus as your very first step. Sometimes it’s as simple as acknowledging in your heart that you need him.
Sometimes it’s the tiniest little prayers, deep inside of us, that make all the difference. Because of the one we are praying to. And remember: we don’t have to “feel different” after praying to believe that he hears us.
We just get to take steps forward—fighting for faith—and pressing our minds to remember that whether we feel it or not, he is fighting our battles, catching our tears, and leading us along good paths for the sake of his name. (Exodus 14:14, Psalm 56:8, Psalm 23:3)
“…he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 NIV
As we move forward through this series together, let’s remember that quiet spaces are worth fighting for, and that our strength in the battle comes from the Lord himself.
Stay tuned for the following parts of this series, titled “Cultivating Quiet”.
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