In Quietness and in Confidence

My wife and I received news a few months back that our pastor in Idaho is struggling with several medical conditions that they are trying to sort out, and it is taking a long time. An otherwise robust man who finds joy and confidence in being independently active and serving others is suddenly unable to do much … except wait.

Even though my wife and I are removed from the situation since I am teaching school in the Dominican Republic, we have been praying for him and his wife. Recently the Lord laid them on our hearts so we sent an e-card to express a word of encouragement.
The message I wanted to convey was inside of me but clarity and succinctness seemed to be out of my grasp. Even after I sent the card I felt like I didn’t say what I wanted to say … but I didn’t know what to say differently. So I continued to mull it over in my mind.

It seems that this situation with my pastor is not unique. Even from personal experience I know that the Lord allows circumstances into a believer’s life over which he has no control … something so big that it defies “fixing” by human effort no matter how hard one tries. During those times we are faced with a decision. Do we become bitter, impatient, or so desperate for help that we compromise our faith to get out of it? Or do we wait on the Lord? It seems to me that it becomes a tool that God uses to force us into the crossroad of sanctification … the crossroad of whining or waiting. So I guess the question I was actually wrestling with is how one should respond during these times we can’t do anything but wait.

Our experience here in the DR was precipitated by our concern to help our daughter who was sentenced to seven years in a foreign prison. Our plan was to find a job here, set up a household, and petition the judges to allow her to be released on parole for the remainder of her sentence. Although it is not as common for foreign prisoners, we knew that it was a reasonable request that was possible to be granted, so we put our plan into action.

She petitioned for her release in January and, without going into detail, suffice it to say that it is now June and we are still waiting. How does a person who desires to walk with God respond during these times when all he can do is wait? I feel in a small way, in principle, if not in circumstance, that I share a similar battle of faith that my pastor must be facing … and I didn’t know how to put it into words.

The very next morning after I sent the e-card I was reading in Isaiah. Some verses stood out to me which I believe gave some insight into answering my question.

“For thus saith the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:
and ye would not.” Isaiah 30:15

In context this verse is part of a prophecy of God’s intended judgment upon Jerusalem:

“… this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their
lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me,
and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work
among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder, for
the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding
of their prudent men shall be hid.” Isaiah 29:13,14

These people professed to believe in the Lord and were going through the motions of their “religion” but it did not please God. It was the frantic motion and activity of the flesh “taught by the precept of men.”

To correct this natural tendency of the flesh, God placed in front of them a judgment. He tried speaking to them simply as one who corrects a child, but they would not listen:

“Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to
understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk,
and drawn from the breast. For precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, and there a little. For with stammering lips and
another tongue will he speak to this people.” Isaiah 28:9-11

Since they would not listen to simple teaching in their own language, he would teach them by using another nation with a foreign tongue to judge them … something beyond their control, to say the least.

When God brings “judgments” into our lives the reason is predictable because of His character… he cares about us and what we believe … and it is the same reason that He brought it upon Jerusalem:

“Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham,
concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be
ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale. But when
he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the
midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify
the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,
and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.“ Isaiah 29:22-24

And it is just as predictable that our response will usually be the same as the people in Jerusalem:

“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take
counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering but
not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: that walk
to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to
strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to
trust in the shadow of Egypt.” Isaiah 30:2

When we first heard that our daughter was in prison, our reaction (after the “shock-and-denial-and-feeling-guilty” stage) was to turn to Egypt. We wrote senators and harassed the Embassy looking for any way possible to get her out of prison … all to no avail. Nothing we have tried over the last four years has worked … and we have been forced by circumstances to wait.

As believers we all live in a body of flesh that wars against the things of God. God has called us to “walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) So God allows these circumstances of “judgment” into my life on a regular basis for this very reason … my sanctification. He is sovereign and knows what we need and at what time, and it is a source of joy to know that it is for a “perfect work.” (James 1:4)

The good news is that as true believers we have the strength to endure and emerge victorious:

“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that
is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth
him not.” I John 5:18

Another dimension that I missed in this whole concept is seeing it from God’s point of view. Wrapped up in my own world I didn’t see the patience of God. He is also waiting … for me to grow up.

“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto
you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy
upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all
they that wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18

By faith I truly want to embrace these times of rest and quietness. I want to pray instead of worry, learn doctrine instead of go to Egypt. My prayer for both my pastor and myself is that, as we face this time of waiting on “God’s judgment”, our strength would be in quietness and in confidence.

“Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness
remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness
shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and
assurance for ever.” Isaiah 32:16,17