“REED” This

Quiet

I noticed a car tag the other day that read “BEQUIET”. It was on a fully electric car, and I thought it was only a little bit comical. We probably all heard at one time someone saying, “Be quiet.” Maybe a parent, a teacher, a sibling, a friend, or even a stranger who was so bold to say it to you. We understand the need to be quiet while in certain places such as a classroom or a sanctuary, and while attending events when someone is speaking and you want to hear what is being said. But, there is another quiet. It’s the quiet that surrounds us sometimes.

Walking out the doors of the church here on Marsh’s Edge Lane, there is quiet. Yes, you can hear the cicadas because of the heat, birds that may be calling, and the occasional times when the kids are at recess and playing outside at the school through the woods. But what you don’t hear is the heavy traffic and the planes taking off or landing like you would at our old building on Frederica Road. Here, it is quiet, peaceful, and relaxing. Now, there is still a lot going on and a lot of activity around the church, even on weekdays, but there’s still a place to find quiet.

Some people long for it to be quiet. Parents of young children love the quiet that comes during naptime. Parents of some teenagers love the quiet that comes when headphones are plugged in. Those who work in the busyness of an office love the quiet when they can shut their office door and put their phones on silence. Yet, others hear the quiet all the time and it is rarely disturbed because they live alone. The quiet may be welcomed, but at times it can be haunting and difficult to endure. That’s when a trip to the grocery store might be needed.

The quiet is good. When it is quiet, we can think more clearly. When it is quiet, we can stay more focused on a task. When it is quiet, we can hear things that we might miss when there are noisy distractions. When it is quiet, we can hear the still, small voice of God speaking to us, and we are able to better discern what He is telling us. When I was younger, I remember being told by ministers that I needed to have a quiet time with God each day. It was a time to set aside in my daily schedule to sit down, read from the Bible, and spend time praying. It was to be a quiet time. We all need those times every day. But, I don’t believe we should restrict ourselves to only once a day. I need more quiet time with God than that. In fact, I need quiet time with God all the time. I’m not talking about sitting down by myself in a room all day. I don’t want to be a monk. I’m talking about in the quiet of my heart and being in touch with God all the time. That’s part of what I believe the Apostle Paul is saying in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” We are to always be in a conversation with God. Always listening to Him and being sensitive to His Spirit. We can still be loud in our praise even when we are quiet with the Lord. And even when things are loud and noisy around us, we can be quiet in our spirit while communing with the Lord.

We need to be sure to have those quiet times in our daily lives. Our times of devotion, personal Bible study and prayer, alone time with God, or whatever you want to call it is vital to our relationship with Him. Make sure you make that time for the Lord. Then through the rest of your day, even when things are busy and loud, be quiet in your spirit and do as the psalmist writes in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, August 30, 2022