Quieten Your Heart

By Bryan Tay

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. — Psalm 139:23 (NIV)

We live in a restless world. The daily issues of life can bog us down and negatively affect our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. We are affected by what we see, what we hear and what we read. We may not even be aware that unwelcome thoughts and feelings are building up within us. We do not live only in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual realm where spiritual battles are waged, whether we know it or not. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, we need to discern the root cause of issues, whether they are physical or spiritual.

As such, it is important for us to have moments of retreat to quieten our hearts to nestle in God’s presence. When we are ready to listen, He is always ready to speak. Such quiet moments will help us to discover God, discover ourselves, discern the root cause of issues and take appropriate courses of action as the Holy Spirit leads.

What does God say about this?

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

“Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Psalm 4:4 (NIV)

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

What does this mean for practical living?

We are surrounded by too much noise and pressing concerns from different quarters in our daily life. To manage that, we attempt to prioritise our life activities in daily living. We know that everything seems important but not everything is urgent. We plan and take actions to acquire resources and execute our planned tasks. As Christians, we are asked to live wisely and make the most of every opportunity. We cannot do that with a clouded mind and a crowded heart.

Before all else, we should sit in God’s presence, be still and quieten our hearts. Before we make any plans to achieve our goals or respond to any situation, we ought to consider: “What do you say, Lord? What is your will concerning this matter?” When we do that and commit our plans to Him and trust Him to act, He will grant us His perfect peace from above. Receiving His perfect peace is a good test for any situation after you have made your decision or response in any given situation.

Reflect and respond to God’s Word

• Do you give priority to quietening yourself daily before God to listen to Him? Why?
• We live in the physical and spiritual realms. How does this affect the way we handle daily life situations and issues?
• Identify a suitable period of the day to quieten your heart and spirit so that you can listen to God. Be sure to protect that period daily and observe how it has helped you to draw closer to Him.