At dusk—shortly before sunset—the colors of the sky became more precise and clear for a few brief moments, and then a quiet peace took over.  The colors became muted and soft, and even the air somehow became more gentle as the sun eased down.”
              –Paul Bagdon  (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

    “When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?”
              –Job 34:29 (NKJV)
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Since the first of the year I have been writing about having a quiet heart.  With all the turmoil in the world and in this country we desperately need a quiet heart.  Tomorrow, I am sure will bring about more dissatisfaction, more turmoil, more riots.  In the midst of all how can we have a quiet heart?  As I have already mentioned in past “Echoes” that we need to believe in God, we need to trust Him in the midst of our life’s situations.
    I would venture to say that almost everyone on the face of the earth would like to have a quiet heart.  They seek after it in many ways from drugs, to false religions, to counseling, to entertainment and recreation, and even to violence.  For it is the absence of the quiet heart that leads to violence.  Peace eludes us, no matter the alternative a person tries.  The answer only lies in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.  Ironically, so much of the violence is the antichrist.
    One reason for the lack of peace and the quiet heart is that people do not want to turn to Jesus.  Oh, they might mention Him, they might even go to church, but they never entirely surrender themselves wholly to Him.  They might mix what He says with something else, or they might give an opinion disagreeing with what Jesus says, but they will not give them their heart, so that the Holy Spirit can bring peace to it.  To be at peace and rest in the midst of turmoil one must give Christ total allegiance.

         “Half our troubles in this matter [a troubled heart] lie in the fact that the world is too much with us; we are in the midst of it, we are immersed by it all and we are lost in the details.  So what the Bible really does with us, in the first instance, is just to take hold of us and drag our attention away from the immediate scene to God.  This is not escapism, because having got us to confront God and His Son, it brings us back to the problem and then it enables us to overcome it.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    I like what Lloyd-Jones says, come to Christ.  Take your eyes away from and get your mind away from all the turmoil in your life and around you and put them on the solidness of God’s Word and the salvation offered through His Son.  When we give our whole attention to Christ we then can face the world with a calm assurance.
    Because of Jesus Christ we don’t have to grope in the darkness of this world.  We don’t have to grovel in despair over our situation in life, nor fret about tomorrow.  Right relationship with Christ will not only bring quietness to your anxious heart but it will provide light for your steps.  He is our peace; He is the light of our soul; He is the restorer of quietness in our heart.  Don’t have a troubled heart, go to Christ and let Him relieve it.  Lloyd-Jones writes, “I can never be at peace truly until I am in the right relationship to God, and the only one who can put me in that right relationship is the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Quit trying the world’s ways and methods to quiet your heart, it will not happen.  Only through Jesus can there be truly the quiet heart.
    When we have the peace and quietness that comes from the Holy Spirit we will have light in the darkest part of the night or in the darkest dungeons.  When we have that quietness we can follow the example found in Acts 16:25, “But at midnightPaul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (NKJV).  Turmoil in the world, adverse situations, circumstances beyond our control–none of these will matter.  Instead we will have joy, peace, quietness and will be able to sing praises in any situation.

Each day is the start of something new that gives us the choice to decide what we want to make out of it.”
              –Duane Boehm  (Sun Over the Mountains)

    “By faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”
              –Hebrews 11:27 (NKJV)
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I thought about saying that all want to live with a quiet heart.  But upon second thought, there are many who are antagonistic to Christ who want to continue to clamor and cause havoc.  But to those who want the quiet heart they must first have confidence in God.  They must believe who He is and that nothing happens apart from Him.  He does not cause everything, but He is totally in charge.
    In regard to our lives we need to understand that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).  That is true for the believer as he walks through this world.  God is always watching, always working and at times He will provide miracles for us as we trust in Him.
    Despite the fall of man, despite the cursings that God has placed upon this earth; it still belongs to Him.  He is still the Savior of the world; He has not and will not turn His back upon it.  If you think that God has placed a curse upon you, that is not so.  Blessings and cursings come from our choices.  They depend upon how we live our lives in accordance to His plan, way, and standards; whether or not we live in obedience to Him.  Want a quiet heart?  Walk in obedience to the Lord.
    Nothing happens to you that He is not aware of or that He has allowed.  Have confidence in the words of Matthew,

         “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
                   –Matthew 10:29-31 (NKJV)

It is a slap in the face if you think that God does not care for you.  What are you, less than a sparrow?  To have a quiet heart in this world understand that God knows all about you.  In fact, like Job, some of the things that are happening in your life may be because of activity in the spirit world.  When we question what is going on that is the time to have faith in God.  Lloyd-Jones writes, “If you really believe in God, anything that may happen to you will drive you nearer to God and anything that drives you nearer to Him is a ‘good thing’ for you.”
    It is vital that we come to know Him.  That we truly know Him.  To do that means that we must be in His Word, we must understand Who He is and understand what His character is like.  A disciple is someone who spends time with the Teacher, an apprentice is someone who spends time with the Master.  As we develop a relationship we develop more trust.  Jesus is the guarantee of everything God has said.  “To believe God means an utter, implicit confidence in what He has said about Himself and in what He has said about what He will do.” (Lloyd-Jones)

         “So we may boldly say:  ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?'”
                   –Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV)

    Have confidence in Him, rest in His arms for He cares for you.  Commit yourself to His care, place your life and your affairs in His hands, no matter the circumstance.

One lives with trouble.  There is no need to think about a time without it, for it is always here.  A man grows strong by standing against the wind, and eternal peace would bring no happiness.  Man needs strife of some kind, something to struggle against.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Brionne)

    “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
              –John 4:23 (NKJV)
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         “Neither drouth, nor rain, nor blizzard disturbs the joy-juice in this ol’ gizzard!”
                           –unknown

You can add to that, liberalism, politics, riots, and other such stupidities and sundry things.
    It is not that I am not concerned, for I am very concerned about the state of this nation and the citizens of this country.  I am very concerned about the state of the church, and those who attend (or don’t attend).  However, those things are not going to wreck and destroy my joy, peace, and happiness.  We should be concerned about our nation and the times in which we live, but not to the point that the enemy is able to bring fear, dread, depression, and despair into our lives.
    There is a very often-quoted, yet misused verse in Jeremiah.  The thoughts of the Lord are of peace and not evil and to give us a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).  But read the whole chapter.  Do not take the verse out of context.  God’s thoughts are positive for Jeremiah and the nation of Israel, but first they had to spend time in captivity, time as slaves in Babylon.  The chapter tells us that we must seek Him, and when He is found He will bring them out of captivity.
    In these troublesome times, and they are troubling, there are some things that we are to do, that we MUST do.  No matter what happens in these times.  No matter what actions the extreme left takes against the church and believers there are some requisites for us.  

         “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
              –Matthew 5:13-16(NKJV)

You live in this place, shall I say, “in the now.”  You are here, January 2021, and this is where God expects you to live and operate, and function.  First, by being flavorful to those around you.  In the classroom, in the workplace, as you travel, to those you meet in the marketplace, in stores, at restaurants.  They should be able to “taste” and know that you are there and that you are a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, don’t act like them, don’t look like them, don’t talk like them, be separate and be flavorful.
    Second, don’t hide your light!  The Holy Spirit should be seen burning in you.  You are to be a warning as a lighthouse.  You are to be a beacon, to show the way.  You are to shine so that others have hope, and can look at your light and thus find the way.  You are no good if you hide the light that is within you.  In these times, how much more do those near you need a light to show them the way.
    There is one other Scripture I would leave with you today to ponder.  Contemplate it for it is one of those “hard” verses in the Bible.  I point you to Matthew 10:34:

         “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (NKJV).

We live in a time when there is much fear, terror, and turmoil on the earth.  A time of pestilence, a time of hatred, a time of division.  Yet, in this recognize that this is the place and time where God has placed you.  Don’t compromise with the enemy, don’t be complacent, don’t fret or fear for your heavenly Father cares for you.  He will provide for you, He knows your thoughts and you next step.  This is the time and place in which He has placed you–love in it for the Lord!