Quietness and assurance for ever

Isaiah 32:17

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

We have, beloved, in this most glorious verse, the very desire of our God for every person living. This is what the believer may experience—peace! Quietness and assurance for ever! What a privilege! What a gift we have! This is the work of righteousness! Why do some have no peace? Why are some in constant turmoil and perturbation? Why are some without quietness, without calmness, and without serenity? Because they do not have righteousness! Because the work of righteousness is peace! Without righteousness there is no peace. If we live righteously, the result is peace. And furthermore, the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever!

Quietness! This is a rare commodity in our world today. It is a valuable asset of sterling quality and of supreme beauty, but—where is it? Quietness? We see no quietness. We see madness, craziness, and mayhem. We see jostling and bustling on every side. We see upheaval and hurried clamor everywhere. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked! They are full of trouble and anguish, care and anxiety. But my friend! This is not what the Lord has in His wondrous store for you! He desires that you would have quietness, calmness, stillness. Be still and know, the Lord says, that I am God! The simple knowledge of God’s existence, presence, and power is enough to be still! To be quiet! To be at rest, and at peace. Let us cease from the incessant and constant noisiness. Let us stop the absurd mayhem. Let us quit the steady stream of movement, snd be still! Because it is only in being still that we may meditate upon our great God, and be brought to a more intimate fellowship with Him. It is only in blocking out the continuous clamor of the world that we may hear His still, small voice clearly. And the Lord has made it to be so. We must be still. We must be quiet. We must turn other things off, and shut other things out. We must raise our antennas and listen to the voice of the Lord. Will you do this today?

And then, let us not miss the yet grander truth contained in this heavenly message. Assurance! And assurance for ever! For ever! We may have this! But how? How do we obtain such a luxury? How do we attain to such a wonderful state of mind? Assurance! It is only by being quiet. The noice about us will dull the mind, and harden the heart. The revelry of this world gives us doubt, and not assurance. But with the Lord, we have something else! We can have His assurance! “Blessed assurance,” the hymn writer has said, “Jesus is mine!” Is there any greater assurance? Any more powerful source of consolation and solace? Is there any surety that I can have greater than this? “O what a foretaste of glory divine!” My friend, would you like this assurance? It only comes from quietness and stillness. Come to the rest of Christ today. Shut every thing else out. Don’t listen to the voices of this world, and the deceit of the enemy. Don’t listen to the discouraged heart crying out that every thing will fly apart. Don’t listen to the thoughts of your mind that tend to listen to the doubt of the flesh. But listen to the Lord! He wants to give you assurance! Assurance of His love! Assurance of His salvation! You are “an heir of salvation,” and you are “purchased of God.” You are “born of His Spirit” and “washed in His blood.” This is the source of our assurance. It is all in Him, and in His blessed Word. Don’t listen to anything that blocks out His assurance, and give no heed to anything that harms His peace and His quietness. Enter into assurance today. For with the Lord is quietness and assurance for ever!

“Oh Father, how we praise you that we can have quietness and assurance in you. The influence and tide of this world can’t take it away. It cannot take away the peace and rest of our souls. May we never listen to the doubt and fear of the enemy. But help us, Father, to rest this day in your peace. For this is the effect of righteousness. We desire this. Help us to live in it all day. And we trust in your help and aid. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”