In Quietness and Confidence
November 2015
“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:15
Isaiah 30:15
Have you ever, if just for a moment, taken your eyes off Jesus and His promises and began to entertain the spirit of fear, anxiety, and worry?Last week I did.
I went from praying:
“Lord, what do YOU want me to do? I trust YOU. I just need to hear from You.”
To:
“Lord, what if this doesn't work out? Then what am I going to do?!?
To:
You know what, I'm just going to do what I have to do. You're not telling me what to do so….”
For a while I've been in sort of quiet season. A season I believe of preparation and growth, but also at times discomfort. Can you relate? You know what God has promised to do, but you struggle at times with the in between. So that night after spending the whole day sitting with the Lord (aka....crying and praying, crying and fussing, praying and complaining), I went to bed not just frustrated, but also planning to take things into my own hands. Well, around 1am, God woke me up and led me to Isaiah 30.
"….You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,…,For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be
humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you (NLT)."
I immediately felt convicted. Here I was getting ready to make my own plans; leaning completely on my own understanding all because I felt uncomfortable and because I was tired of the quiet season of preparation that I'm in. I told my hair dresser recently how it's tough at times when you have a desire to do so much not just for God, but in life, but know it's not quite time. Sometimes we get on social media, and although we are happy for everyone that is making “announcements,” we want to make some announcements of our own. Or maybe if you're like me, you won't post EVERYTHING on social media, but you would at least like to make some announcements in conversation with people.(Hey, I'm just being real…..) But here I was, not just frustrated, discouraged, and slightly scared, but also getting ready to take matters into my own hands and move ahead of God all because I was tired of being in this season. I was getting ready to lean on a “Pharaoh” to get done what I felt God wasn't doing fast enough. I'm sure you can relate. Instead of trusting God to lead and get you to your “expected end” you look to and depend on your personal pharaoh(s). People. Your ability. Your strength. Your _____________. But God told me and He’s telling you, depending on anything other than Him and His Word to do whatever it is that you are believing God for/to do will only lead to disgrace, shame, and disappointment.
After repenting, I then kept reading….
“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 (NKJV).”
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
The more I kept meditating on this verse the more the Lord began to pour into me.
Quietness = Peace and Rest
Confidence = Faith and Trust
God began to show me how when I'm lacking peace and not resting in Him….I'm weak, frustrated, discouraged, anxious, and fearful. When I lack confidence, when I don't really trust God and His Word, and when I'm not really walking by faith, but by sight….I'm again weak, frustrated, discouraged, anxious, and fearful. Notice, there's no sign of strength in those things. Oh…but friend, when I’m quiet, still, peaceful, and resting in Him….that's when I'm strong. When I'm confident that God will do what He says He will do despite of what it looks like, that’s
when I'm strong. After having a mini praise break in my apartment….I remember thinking, “But Lord, I STILL need to hear from You. What do YOU want me to do.”
“And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! O people who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30: 12, 18-19 AMP
Whew! I had another praise break after reading this. Friend, the Lord promises that in quietness, in peace, in resting in Him and being confident that what He promised will manifest, that you will be strong. But He doesn't stop there. He then says that He longs to be gracious to you and that you are BLESSED when you wait, look for, and expect His victory, favor, love, peace, joy, and matchless, unbroken companionship. He does hear your cry and prayers and will answer! And if by chance like me, you are seeking Him for direction, whether you should go to the right or to the left….or just move in general….He then promises that YOU will hear, “This is the way, walk in it!” Friend, after shouting and reading, a sense of peace covered me. Yes, I have dreams and desires. Yes, at times it's uncomfortable to stay in this place. Oh, but God! He hears me and longs to be gracious to me and when it's time to move, to turn, to step out, He will tell me. Until then…it's in quietness and confidence that I'm strong. Of course the Lord didn't stop there. He had to remind me again of what He showed me that
night. The other day while I was on my way home for Thanksgiving, my GPS took me down a different route. I didn't even notice until I started to see houses that I've never seen before. Nevertheless, I kept driving and singing Christmas songs, not once checking to see if I had
picked the wrong address or if the system was still working. While driving the Lord said:
1. The same way you trust that GPS despite what you see to tell you when to “turn” is the same way you should trust Me.
2. And the same way that GPS is going to get you to your destination despite a different route, is the same way I’m going to get you to your “expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).”
Again, I remembered in quietness and confidence is your strength. Friend, I just want to encourage you to keep trusting and seeking God. It is not in vain. Like David was anointed by Samuel to be King in I Samuel 16:13, we all know that He didn't actually become King of Judah until 2 Samuel 2....which was 15 years later. Many of us get tired of and/or discouraged while waiting within a year or two time. We receive a prophetic word, or get a vision from God and if its not happening fast enough on our watch we try to make something happen out of God's
timing. We build pseudo platforms and then pray for instant success. Sometimes we just need to step back, breathe, and simply trust God. Allow Him to open the doors. Like David, we know your calling is to be a King, but its not time YET! Simply serve where you are, let patience have its perfect work, and develop character. Its going to happen in the right SEASON at the perfect TIME (JLT). So whenever you're tempted to step ahead of God and do things in your own strength and ability, just remember that it's in quietness and confidence that you are strong. And that the same God that you are waiting on to promote and present you to the world, is the same God that hides you for a season and prepares you in secret. And the same God that hides and prepares you, is the same God that will promote and present you. Remember, His timing is perfect. So rest in Him, be confident in Him, and trust that He will do what He said He will do. You won't be disappointed!
Your sister in Christ,
Raven
I went from praying:
“Lord, what do YOU want me to do? I trust YOU. I just need to hear from You.”
To:
“Lord, what if this doesn't work out? Then what am I going to do?!?
To:
You know what, I'm just going to do what I have to do. You're not telling me what to do so….”
For a while I've been in sort of quiet season. A season I believe of preparation and growth, but also at times discomfort. Can you relate? You know what God has promised to do, but you struggle at times with the in between. So that night after spending the whole day sitting with the Lord (aka....crying and praying, crying and fussing, praying and complaining), I went to bed not just frustrated, but also planning to take things into my own hands. Well, around 1am, God woke me up and led me to Isaiah 30.
"….You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,…,For without consulting me, you have gone down to Egypt for help. You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be
humiliated, and by depending on him, you will be disgraced. For though his power extends to Zoan and his officials have arrived in Hanes, all who trust in him will be ashamed. He will not help you. Instead, he will disgrace you (NLT)."
I immediately felt convicted. Here I was getting ready to make my own plans; leaning completely on my own understanding all because I felt uncomfortable and because I was tired of the quiet season of preparation that I'm in. I told my hair dresser recently how it's tough at times when you have a desire to do so much not just for God, but in life, but know it's not quite time. Sometimes we get on social media, and although we are happy for everyone that is making “announcements,” we want to make some announcements of our own. Or maybe if you're like me, you won't post EVERYTHING on social media, but you would at least like to make some announcements in conversation with people.(Hey, I'm just being real…..) But here I was, not just frustrated, discouraged, and slightly scared, but also getting ready to take matters into my own hands and move ahead of God all because I was tired of being in this season. I was getting ready to lean on a “Pharaoh” to get done what I felt God wasn't doing fast enough. I'm sure you can relate. Instead of trusting God to lead and get you to your “expected end” you look to and depend on your personal pharaoh(s). People. Your ability. Your strength. Your _____________. But God told me and He’s telling you, depending on anything other than Him and His Word to do whatever it is that you are believing God for/to do will only lead to disgrace, shame, and disappointment.
After repenting, I then kept reading….
“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 (NKJV).”
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
The more I kept meditating on this verse the more the Lord began to pour into me.
Quietness = Peace and Rest
Confidence = Faith and Trust
God began to show me how when I'm lacking peace and not resting in Him….I'm weak, frustrated, discouraged, anxious, and fearful. When I lack confidence, when I don't really trust God and His Word, and when I'm not really walking by faith, but by sight….I'm again weak, frustrated, discouraged, anxious, and fearful. Notice, there's no sign of strength in those things. Oh…but friend, when I’m quiet, still, peaceful, and resting in Him….that's when I'm strong. When I'm confident that God will do what He says He will do despite of what it looks like, that’s
when I'm strong. After having a mini praise break in my apartment….I remember thinking, “But Lord, I STILL need to hear from You. What do YOU want me to do.”
“And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! O people who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30: 12, 18-19 AMP
Whew! I had another praise break after reading this. Friend, the Lord promises that in quietness, in peace, in resting in Him and being confident that what He promised will manifest, that you will be strong. But He doesn't stop there. He then says that He longs to be gracious to you and that you are BLESSED when you wait, look for, and expect His victory, favor, love, peace, joy, and matchless, unbroken companionship. He does hear your cry and prayers and will answer! And if by chance like me, you are seeking Him for direction, whether you should go to the right or to the left….or just move in general….He then promises that YOU will hear, “This is the way, walk in it!” Friend, after shouting and reading, a sense of peace covered me. Yes, I have dreams and desires. Yes, at times it's uncomfortable to stay in this place. Oh, but God! He hears me and longs to be gracious to me and when it's time to move, to turn, to step out, He will tell me. Until then…it's in quietness and confidence that I'm strong. Of course the Lord didn't stop there. He had to remind me again of what He showed me that
night. The other day while I was on my way home for Thanksgiving, my GPS took me down a different route. I didn't even notice until I started to see houses that I've never seen before. Nevertheless, I kept driving and singing Christmas songs, not once checking to see if I had
picked the wrong address or if the system was still working. While driving the Lord said:
1. The same way you trust that GPS despite what you see to tell you when to “turn” is the same way you should trust Me.
2. And the same way that GPS is going to get you to your destination despite a different route, is the same way I’m going to get you to your “expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).”
Again, I remembered in quietness and confidence is your strength. Friend, I just want to encourage you to keep trusting and seeking God. It is not in vain. Like David was anointed by Samuel to be King in I Samuel 16:13, we all know that He didn't actually become King of Judah until 2 Samuel 2....which was 15 years later. Many of us get tired of and/or discouraged while waiting within a year or two time. We receive a prophetic word, or get a vision from God and if its not happening fast enough on our watch we try to make something happen out of God's
timing. We build pseudo platforms and then pray for instant success. Sometimes we just need to step back, breathe, and simply trust God. Allow Him to open the doors. Like David, we know your calling is to be a King, but its not time YET! Simply serve where you are, let patience have its perfect work, and develop character. Its going to happen in the right SEASON at the perfect TIME (JLT). So whenever you're tempted to step ahead of God and do things in your own strength and ability, just remember that it's in quietness and confidence that you are strong. And that the same God that you are waiting on to promote and present you to the world, is the same God that hides you for a season and prepares you in secret. And the same God that hides and prepares you, is the same God that will promote and present you. Remember, His timing is perfect. So rest in Him, be confident in Him, and trust that He will do what He said He will do. You won't be disappointed!
Your sister in Christ,
Raven