Author: marquitabp

In The Quiet

"This is what the Almighty LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me. But you don't want that."  Isaiah 30:15 GWT

I don't know about you, but I go to bed in complete darkness and quiet.  Why you say, I don't really know lol and maybe this has not a single bit of relevancy in the title haha.  But I do know that God calls out to us.  I do know that if we just be quiet sometimes, we can actually hear His voice.  We can hear the plan He has to deliver us and we can bask in His glory.  We can get our breakthrough at those quiet times at night.  God can reveal and make things plain that we would otherwise not see or hear. 

 

In the verse above, God is speaking through Isaiah to the children of Israel.  If only they would have turned from evil and been obedient to God's voice, what they could have avoided!  If they would have been quiet and trusted the same God that delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh, the same God that fed them every night with the bread of heaven and quenched their thirst from a rock.  Sometimes…all it takes is for us to be quiet and reflect on God's greatness and the things He has done in our lives.  If we would only think on the blessings we have!  I admit, I had to do that today because I had been thinking of all the reasons why I shouldn't do something.  But then I remembered who I am in Christ and what God continues to do for me every single day…all of that in a moment of quiet time.  It is in our quiet praise and worship, in the quiet times of reading and meditating on the Word that God can show us the way.  Think about it, can you really hear God with a lot of foolishness going on around you?  Can you really hear His voice?  Or do you even want to?  I had today off, and did not do a single solitary thing other than catch up on my reading and spend time with God today.  And I feel better than I have felt in a long time.  No worries and no cares, all because I got quiet.  So start getting quiet, set aside time first thing in the morning and in the evening to spend with God, read the Word, listen to praise and worship music so that you can get a word from God.  In quietness and confidence is your strength…why, because in quietness you can gain the confidence through a divine revelation from God.

 

"This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it."  Isaiah 30:15 NLT

Birth Your Gifts

 

"Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives–especially the ability to prophesy."  1 Corinthians 14:1

 

God has given each of us as believers special gifts and talents.  I know some of my gifts.  Because of my personal life experiences I can relate to people and give them an encouraging word or advice.  But that was not something that I wanted to do or asked God for.  I asked God to tell me what He wanted me to do and that I would do it, and sure enough, I received the recognition of His gifts and talents within my life…things that He wanted me to use to bring glory to His name. 

 

Sometimes life causes us to experience what is similar to childbirth.  The trials I have had thus far have cause me great pain, with some still hurting.  But in the midst of that, God has allowed me to birth being able to minister to many different people.  You see, we are as different as night and day sometimes, yet just alike.  We all experience trials and tribulations–that's LIFE people.  Life is not always easy. In those situations, God calls us closer to Him.  He wants to use us, if we are willing.  In 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul calls away from being ignorant about spiritual gifts–because each of us have a purpose in the kingdom.  We are all a part of the body of Christ with a unique purpose and plan that we are to fulfill.  Walk forward in whatever God is calling you to, birth your gifts even if it hurts because it is all for God's glory.  Remember physical difficulty and mental suffering is only a temporary thing when you are in the will of God because we have a greater reward awaiting us!

 

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence."  2 Peter 1:3