The One To Trust

 In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength... 

Isaiah 30:12

How easy is it to be quiet when going through a struggle? How peaceful do we feel when a lot of chaotic things are going on and we feel like we can't get a grasp on anything? And yet the Lord tells us we will find salvation and strength when we get quiet and trust Him. We don't really do quiet very well, do we? I think some of us are convinced that loud and messy gets us what we want, as evidenced by the many customer service people quitting their jobs. And it's not just when we are being "loud and messy," but sometimes life is just full of "to-do" lists and events and surprises, and it's hard to prioritize, slow down, and find the peace we all need. 

And how much do we believe that repentance and rest really work, when more work and more pushing is what we are told makes us stronger? We are encouraged not to be quitters! Stay "positive"! Of course, we must never give up, but if the answer lies in seeking God's refuge and security, then those things require being quiet. After all, can we even hear the voice of the Lord when we're too busy hearing other voices all the time? Many well-intentioned people will jump to our aid, but only God truly knows us and what we need, and He is there, ready to listen. 

If we can't turn to God with the little things in our lives, how can we trust Him for the big things that are sure to come? Isaiah 30:19 How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. That is some pretty fast customer service, if you ask me. As soon as you cry for help, He will answer, and answer with grace. That is the kind of trust we can have with Him, and it is the kind of trust we can depend on. Think of your relationships. The ones you trust should give you strength. They may not always come with God's grace. But when we come to know God as One with whom we can have a relationship, we can also know Him as someone we can turn to at any time. Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 30:20 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. God allows hard times in our lives, but He won't leave us without help to guide us through those hard times. If we submit to the lessons He is showing us through the hardship, we will see the purpose of them in our lives. It doesn't matter whether we are looking for a lost key, trying to find a new job, or praying about a serious issue. Everything we go through matters to God and He will show us His love and guidance all the way through. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

It is normal and human to want to fight against trials and tribulations. I remember going into labor for my first daughter, Natalie, and it was going on 24 grueling hours, and the nurse had been saying to me, "You need to stop fighting the labor pains." I didn't realize I had been doing that. I wasn't allowing the labor pains to do their job to bring Natalie into the world. I was fighting something good coming into my life, without even realizing it. I was so used to fighting bad pain from having chronic and debilitating migraines, that it was just an instinct to bear up under any kind of pain and not allow it to take over my body. In this instance, the pain was necessary. That realization was life-changing in many ways. How many other things was I fighting against that were put there to bring good into my life? Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Sometimes we let our fears and our self-protection stand in the way of what God is trying to do. Quiet, trusting, repentant. This is the way to receive our strength from the Lord. 

Not all pain and change is negative, but at first it will seem that way. It's not fun to be uncomfortable in any way at all. We don't always want to welcome bad news or a dose of the truth, but when we know we can turn to God with it, we can handle anything that comes our way. Isaiah 30:21 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." We are assured that no matter what we are facing–a small annoying trial, new changes, or a big mountainous issue–God is providing the instruction, the direction, and His salvation and strength, and we can rest in that. 

My soul finds rest in God alone; 

my salvation comes from him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 

Psalm 62:1