The Quietness of God
The Christian has to learn to live in the world, but he must draw all his resources from outside of the world. The more he does for God, or rather the more he lets God do through him, the greater will be the need of renewing his strength in the presence of God.
A French writer, commenting on the accession of Edward VIII, spoke of the forces that had worked against him. Wherever he passed he was acclaimed, sought by journalists, photographers, and men and women who wished a nod, feeding on such recognition. To be sought after by the entire world is a sort of nightmare under which a Lindbergh, who was not prepared in advance, succumbed.
Howard Carter discovered the tomb of a king, and soon found that every tourist wanted to see the tomb and to see him. He was forced to refuse permission to those, even though highly recommended, who pushed themselves into his life. He said, "The worst of it is, that you are thirty and that I am only one, and that every day."
Thus the world will seek to press in on the Christian. The Christian must fight to be alone with God and to keep time for knowing God.
The disciples early saw the need of this aloneness. As the cares of the church increased, they demanded that deacons be appointed. It was not fit that they should leave the Word of God to become servants. Men who were filled with the Holy Spirit were to be chosen to take care of the details so that the disciples might give themselves "to prayer and the ministry of the Word." If the disciples had to fight against these inroads from without, how much more must we fight in this twentieth century of television and telephone, and of multiplication of meetings. God has answered all this with His definite command, "Study to be quiet" (1 Thess. 4:11). The quietness which we seek must not be mere rest and relaxation, but the quiet of the presence of God; the quietness which will enable us to hear the Word of God.
Such was the experience of King Saul's life. When Saul and his servant were about to depart from Samuel, the morning after they had lodged in the home of the great prophet, Samuel said to Saul: "Bid the servant pass on before us, . . . but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the Word of God" (1 Sam. 9:27). God had a great purpose for Saul, though Saul did not know it, that he should be "a prince over His inheritance," a king for His own people. This was the first great critical hour of Saul's life. Though he did not know it, he was standing before an open door which would lead him out into greater opportunities than he had ever dreamed of. But before the great place of honor and usefulness could be given to him, Saul had to be quiet to hear the Word of God.
We are living in tremendous days, days when any morning we might suddenly find ourselves at a door with an opportunity before us greater than our prayers have ever asked for. In fact greater, perhaps, than we thought would ever be ours, involving greater burdens and necessitating greater strength than we have ever before known. We dare not undertake even what we know should be undertaken, and even that which we know God would have us to undertake, except with a deeper knowledge of His Word. And this means a deeper knowledge of God Himself, with new strength which can come from the Word of God alone, and with a new cleansing which only the Word of God can give us.
Saul did not know that God wanted to speak to him until Samuel told him so. Is not the Holy Spirit in the depths of your soul pleading with you right now to get alone for a day or two, or an hour every day for a week or two, that God might speak to you out of His marvelous Word? All He is waiting for is an opportunity to speak to you, when your soul is quiet before Him. What a blessing there would be in store for all of us if we could say with the Psalmist: "Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul!" (Ps. 131:2 ASV). "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him" (Ps. 37:7 ASV margin).
1. Dr. Barnhouse was warning his readers about entertainment as a distraction a long time ago, what kind of words would he serve our time today?
2. What is the importance of prayer and studying God’s word in your schedule?
