Encouragement
I sat reflecting on the goodness of God one day and was thinking of all He had done and was doing in my life, when this phrase, “The Quiet Years” came to mind. It was January 2001 and I seemed to be in the “quiet” years of my life. Let me further explain for I am sure many people can relate to this.
To understand this, we must look at the word “quiet” first. In Webster’s dictionary, quiet means: Silent; making very little sound; still; tranquil; calm. Looking at this definition, you can see that quiet does not mean inactive, passive, unaware or lazy. This brought to mind the verses in I Thessalonians 4:9-12:
“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” NKJV
Paul is writing to the people in Thessalonica and telling them many things to do: love one another, increase more and more, lead a quiet life, mind your own business, work with your own hands, and walk properly towards those outside. Being quiet obviously does not mean laziness or inactivity.
It seemed that in 2001, I was in a quiet, waiting stage; a time when knowledge acquired in the past and things I believed were being put to the test. Everyone knows that the times when you are taking a test are quiet, lonely times. During a test in school, there is no talking and no looking around. You can only concentrate on the test and talk to the teacher. We have the ultimate teacher and He is more than enough to get us through these testing times.
Three examples of people going through the “quiet” years and coming out of them strong and ready to serve God are Moses, Joshua and Jesus. First Moses had 40 years of training in Egypt and acquiring knowledge. His second 40 years were full of testing and waiting, in seemingly unchanging conditions. When God’s timing was right, Moses had a “burning bush” experience and was changed from a shepherd to the leader of millions.
Joshua spent much of his young life as Moses’ helper. Very little is said of him except Moses telling him what to do and his being a servant. But the day came when Joshua assumed the leadership role that had always been waiting for him, and led the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
Jesus was mentioned few times in the Bible after His birth and is not mentioned at all from the time He was 12 until He was around 30. Even the Son of God had to wait on God’s timing and wisely use those quiet, waiting years to increase in stature and knowledge.
This is a word of encouragement to those who feel like things are going slow. Whether you have a dream and a vision for a far reaching ministry or a dream of reaching your family for Christ, hang on! Here are four things to remember during these quiet times:
(1) Don’t struggle and fight it- If we will not struggle and fight against these “quiet” years, God will work in us and through us what He wants to and they will pass quickly. Then we will be prepared for what lies ahead. God has a big plan and vision for His church and the people in it. [Matthew 6:31-34]
(2) Don’t lose heart-We must not lose heart during times that seem quiet and slow but instead focus on and trust in God who has your future in His hands. We need to believe that He knows what He is doing. [Jeremiah 29:11]
(3) Stay committed and faithful- We must remain faithful to the call and be committed to Christ regardless of the cost! Especially in slow times it is easy to despair and give up but every little thing we do for God’s glory is important. [Luke 16:10]
(4) Stay thankful and praising- Remember during these times to stay thankful and full of praise to the God who holds everything in the palm of His hand. Even in dry times, we can find something to thank God for and we can always praise God for who He is and what Jesus did on the cross! Praise be to God and our Lord Jesus Christ! [Philippians 4:6-7]
Being in the quiet years is not a reason to despair but rather to rejoice for you are being prepared to bring glory to God. No matter what we do for God, preparation is needed and we need to go with God’s flow.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
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