Sitting Quietly Before the Lord
The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. (Lamentations 3:25–26)
If you want to trust Him to remember you, first, stop running and start waiting! “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him” (Lamentations 3:25 NASB). Stop running! Wait patiently.
Second, start seeking Him again. “The LORD is good to those who seek Him” (3:25 NASB). So, instead of ignoring Him, return to His open arms and start seeking Him again.
“Lord, I’m back. I know You’ve heard it before, and I know You remember me. I’m ashamed to tell you what I’ve been doing (as if You didn’t know), but it’s good for me to rehearse it. Here’s where I’ve been, here’s what I’ve done; here are the things that brought shame to Your name and that hurt me as well as other people. I want to tell You today, as I come back to You and seek You diligently, that I come on the merits of my Savior, Christ. I haven’t any merits of my own. I’m under His blood. I’m one of Your children, and I’ve been away from You far too long. I’ve acted stupidly. I’ve acted ignorantly. At times I’ve been both vile and vicious. But I’m back and I diligently seek You. I’m not going to ignore You any longer.”
Just dump the full load of your guilt on Him. He can handle it.
Then, stop talking and sit silently. “Let him sit alone and keep quiet, Since He has laid it on him” (3:28 NASB). Wait patiently, seek diligently, sit silently. That means you need to stop talking. After you’ve poured out your heart, deliberately be quiet.
Spend a full day in quietness. Sundays are great days to do that. Set aside at least part of the afternoon to be completely quiet. Meditation is a lost art in this modern, hurry-up world. I suggest you revive it. Not by endlessly repeating some mantra to get into some other frame of mind. Not that. Simply and silently wait before your faithful God. Read a passage of Scripture, perhaps a psalm; and let it speak. Say nothing. Just sit silently. Let Him talk. Let Him reassure you that you are fully and completely forgiven and that your shame is gone. Feel His arms reach around you. Understand the cleansing that He’s bringing. Feel again the freshness and relief of His presence.
Taken from The Mystery of God’s Will by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1999 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
