A Quiet Heart

God is able to calm the heart that is entrusted to Him.

Our world is a bit messy just now. Everywhere you turn there is turmoil, war, political crises, disasters, inflation or unrest. Even our individual worlds have been shaken by recent events, pandemics and politics. Listening to the news can be quite unsettling. I wonder if we all aren’t yearning for some peace and quiet.

My eight-month-old granddaughter enjoys hanging out with me while her mom is out. Until naptime, that is. She lets me know that she wants Mom. She usually falls asleep, but not without resistance!

Oh, but when her mom comes back, all is well. She smiles at me, content in Mom’s lap. The naptime struggle forgotten. She is confident that she is safe there and all her needs will be met. There is no fear, no worry, just quiet trust. I want to be like sweet Lilian.

Psalm 131, talks about this in verse 2. “I’ve kept my feet on the ground. I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.” (from The Message)

This is David having a conversation with God. In the previous verse he has just said that he is willing to stay out of God’s business. He realizes that some matters are too weighty for him to be involved in. He has decided to let God take care of things not meant for him to carry.

I love what David says in verse 2. Did you know we could cultivate (acquire or develop) a quiet heart? In spite of what is going on around us? Having a quiet heart is a choice we can make. What good news!

Quiet – tranquil; undisturbed; free from noise or uproar. Oh, my heart has been there. Quite often, however, I fall rather short of this definition.

So, how do we acquire quietness in our hearts? Sweet Lilian knows the answer. Just like her, we have a loving parent, our heavenly Father, who is our resource for everything we need, including the peace and quiet we crave.

We must continue to adhere to the truth that God is indeed who He proclaims to be in His word. Scripture tells us that He is our refuge, He is our stay (support, security), He is the keeper of our soul. The One who created our hearts, in His mighty power, is able to calm and quiet the heart that is entrusted to Him. No matter how great or difficult the circumstances may be.

We must periodically escape the noise and activity and be alone with our Father. When my children were growing up, we had a mandatory daily (mostly) “quiet time”. It is important to give ourselves alone time to consider thoughts and ideas. We need a time out from outside influences in order to be available to hear what God may want us to hear.

We must humbly surrender, as David did, our own agenda and submit to God’s plan for our lives. Yes, I know, I am a recovering control freak. I’m sure we all have days when we think we know better than God does what is best for us. Emptying ourselves of what we have filled us up with gives God room to fill us up with His purpose. We cannot see the future, the whole picture, as He is able to. We can rest in His intention for us, knowing that it can only be good in the end.

We cannot do much about the disorder in this messy world. However, we can work at keeping peace and order in our own hearts. What a testimony for others to witness when we are able to remain quietly strong and confident in the midst of chaos!

How is the noise level in your heart? Do you need a quiet time? Let’s all be like sweet Lilian. Run to your Heavenly Father today. Nestle in His loving arms and enjoy the quiet.