Isaiah 30:15 says; “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength.” How does strength arise out of quietness and trust? I’m thinking about the choice of response. Something happens in your life that requires a response: someone cuts you off in traffic; someone lies about you causing you bad consequences; someone is promoted over you unfairly; someone betrays you.

You have a choice about how you are going to respond: angry retaliation, simmering bitterness, gossip. Instead, you are quiet. You turn to God in trust. “What are you going to do about this Lord? What do you want me to see and learn? What good are you bringing out of it? How can my character be improved through this?”

It’s not the quietness or trust that in themselves produce strength, I think. But it is in that atmosphere – like a breeding ground – that strength can come forth. In a garden, sun and water are needed but they don’t produce the plant as much as they allow it or contribute towards its growth.

If you need strength right now, try being quiet.