Peace and Quiet

Isa 32: 17 And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest. 19 Even if the forest should be destroyed and the city torn down, 20 the LORD will greatly bless his people. Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up. Their cattle and donkeys will graze freely.

Peace and quiet. In a world full of noise, full of hustle and bustle, of hurry up and go, hurry up and finish, hurry up and wait, hurry up… sometimes we long for, sometimes we desire, sometimes we need just a little peace and quiet.

We just need the world to stop, if only for a moment. Stop just long enough for us to catch our breath, just long enough for us to recover from the last thing that went wrong, just long enough for us to get through the last thing we weren’t expecting.

But the world never stops, day turns to night and back to day again and sometimes it feels as if all we can do is just go along for the ride. Holding on as tight as we can so we don’t get thrown aside, so we don’t get ejected from the merry-go-round; flung like a rag doll out of control. Rolling along and wondering when will we stop, when will we get what we feel we deserve, when will we finally be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor?

So many questions—so few answers. Or so it would seem.

In our text today, the children of Israel are receiving a prophecy of what is to come and it’s sandwiched good, not so good and good.

Isaiah tells them how blessed they’ll be when everyone is in their assigned place. Hezekiah will reform the kingdom following a wicked leader who had corrupted the people. As the head goes, so goes the body. That’s why it’s so important to know your leader, you need to know who you’re following. What does their life look like, know those who labor among you.

During Hezekiah’s reign, no longer would evil be called good, the people would see and hear truth. The ungodly would no longer be deemed heroes and scoundrels would not be respected.

Isaiah describes fools saying

• they speak foolishness

• they make evil plans

• they practice ungodliness

• they spread false teachings about the Lord

• they deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty

• they plot crooked schemes

• they lie to convict the poor - even when the cause of the poor is just

Does any of this sound familiar? Dare I say it’s still happening today? There are people sitting in jail cells and on death row whose only crime is being Black. Their skin color alone has made them feared for no good reason, stopped by the police for no good reason, arrested for no good reason, convicted for no good reason, imprisoned for no good reason, killed; for no good reason. There is still nothing new under the sun.

Conversely, generous people

• plan to do what is generous

• they stand firm in their generosity

The text goes on to say women who are at ease are to rise up and hear his voice, the complacent daughters need to listen, LISTEN UP! it’s about to get rough.

The fruit crop will fail and there will be no harvest. When the crops fail, there is nothing to harvest.

It’s not good to be complacent, to be self-satisfied. When you become complacent you decide what’s good enough. You set the standard for yourself and you are not concerned with what others think, including God.

There is a difference between being content and being complacent. Paul was content in whatever situation he found himself. If he had plenty he was good and if he lacked he was still good. To be content is to be satisfied, not just with what you want, but with what God gives.

God was going to strip off the pretty clothes, the complacency, the ease. The Assyrian army was going to invade their land. God would punish those who practiced evil.

The people were doing all manner of evil; but no more. That was going to stop. When leadership who follows God comes and the people follow, God responds with blessings.

But then God would pour his Spirit out, and the wilderness would become a fertile field, yielding bountiful crops, justice would rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field.

What does it mean to be righteous? First, it’s important to know we cannot attain righteousness on our own. Second, human nature is the opposite of righteousness. And third, righteousness is not attained by works. You can’t work your way into heaven.

Righteousness comes only through faith in Christ. It’s by the blood of Jesus that we are made righteous. It’s studying the Word of God, that helps us grow in righteousness. After all, how can you have faith in someone you don’t know? And how can you know someone unless you study them. Study their writings. Study their character traits. How can you know someone, unless you find out what makes them, them.

God is revealed in His word and to increase your faith in him, you must study His Word. Get to know him intimately, know his nature and his character, so that, when the enemy places something before you, you can immediately know that it’s not of God and resist the temptation.

The enemy is not going to be bold and brazen; the word says he is cunning. He mixes a little truth with the lie and before you know it, you’re off course. Before you know it, you’re going down a path that was not meant for you, a path that was not God’s plan for your life.

Then you’re wondering why your life is in shambles. It’s because you’re not studying, you’re not praying, you’re not spending time with God, you’re not meditating on his Word, you’re not leaving bedside baptist or kitchen cathedral to unite yourself with the saints of God in person.

You’re still treating church like you’re at the buffet line, I’ll have a little of this and a little of that, but you’re not giving to anyone. Take, take, take.

And let me say this, you’re never too young, too old, too tired, too busy. You must make time for God.

Solomon says this in Eccl 12:1 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. 4 Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. 5 Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. 6 Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. 7 For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

And this brings us to our text, when righteousness rules it brings about three things.

1. When righteousness rules, the first thing it brings is peace.

a. You can have a peace that surpasses all understanding.

b. You can have peace in the very midst of your storm. When all hell has broken loose around you, you can be at peace, because you know how to rest in the arms of Jesus.

c. You can have peace in times of grief and sorrow.

d. You can have an inner peace that permeates and emanates from you, causing others to wonder what it is you have. Leaving them asking the question, “How could you be so calm at a time like this?”

e. And you will have the power to speak peace to your situation.

2. When righteousness rules, the second then it brings is quietness.

a. Have you ever just wanted to go to a place where you could have quiet?

b. Have you ever been trying to pray and hear God and now you can hear the birds outside and the cars and trucks going by, and the sirens, and the phone is ringing, and text messages are coming, and your neighbors are playing loud music, and the voices in your head, and, and, and? When righteousness rules, you learn how to shut those distractions out so you can hear God.

c. When you want quiet trying to hear God, You start thinking about all the stuff that needs to be done around the house or at work. It doesn’t matter that it’s been needing to be done for months or even years. It’s only when you sit down to hear from God that it becomes so loud in your head.

d. You may have young children and even if you don’t now, I’m sure you can remember back to the times when nap time couldn’t come soon enough and you could just get some quiet.

i. I remember when Pastor Ed was doing a remote tour in Turkey and I had the boys. One of their friends had a sleep over Mother’s Day weekend and I sat in the house alone, with the lights low, the TV off and just relished the quiet. At that moment, it was like heaven to me. I went to church the next morning and as the other ladies talked about what they got for Mother’s Day, I told them about my night and they ooo’d and ah’d like I had gotten the best gift ever.

e. You don’t realize how much you miss the quiet, until you don’t have it.

f. When you have the righteousness of God, you’re under his protection so you don’t have to fear evil, it is not able to come and disturb or take away your quietness.

3. The third thing you receive with righteousness is confidence. How many would like to have more confidence?

a. Confidence that you are God’s child.

b. Confidence that when you pray, he hears and answers.

c. Confidence that you are under his divine protection.

d. Confidence that He is your provider.

e. Confidence to know that when trouble comes, he is right there to carry you through.

f. Confidence to know that he is still in control. No matter what it looks like. No matter what you see around you. God is still in control.

g. Confidence to place your children in his hands as they leave home, knowing that he loves them, even more than you.

h. Confidence to know that when it’s time to leave this place you will be with him in heaven.

When righteousness rules you can have peace and quiet and confidence, that’s not temporary, you can have it forever.

God said, “My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.”

There are times we run, run, run until our bodies and minds are so exhausted we can’t stand up or think straight. We take on task after task, afraid to say no because we’re afraid they won’t like us or will think less of us.

You want rest? You want peace? You want quiet? You want confidence? You’d better learn to say no. Learn to put God at the forefront of your mind and your day. Start your day with Jesus and the rest will be wonderful.

Because

• even if the forest should be destroy and the city torn down

• even if your spouse left you

• even if your loved one died

• even if someone stole your dog

• even if your car won’t start

• even if you were in an accident

• even if you don’t have enough money to pay all your bills

• even if your life is not how you planned it

• even if…

The Lord will still greatly bless his people. Are you his people? That’s important. He’s not just showering blessings on everyone; these blessings are for his people.

But… there’s something the people of God need to do—plant seeds. Isaiah says, “Wherever they plant seed, bountiful crops will spring up.”

You gotta plant some seeds.

• Plant the seed of the Word. That’s evangelism.

• Plant seeds of forgiveness. So God will hear your prayer.

• Plant seeds of faith. That’s believing even what you don’t see.

• Plant seeds of giving. Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto your bosom.

• Plant seeds of gratitude. Give thanks with a grateful heart.

• Plant seeds of kindness. Jesus said, “That which you do to the least of these, you do also unto me.”

• Plant seeds of joy. Joy unspeakable and full of glory.

• Plant seeds of peace. Knowing that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, so when you don’t know what to do or say or give, just give them Jesus.

• Plant seeds of hope. Let someone know when your hope is in God, you can be strong and courageous.

• Plant seeds of love. The world will know you are his disciple by the love you have one for another.

First things first, in order to experience the righteousness of God, in order to receive the peace, quiet, and confidence of God, you must be his child.

You may be wondering; how do I do that? Well, I’ll tell you it’s easy, it’s free, and it’s instant. If you confess with your mouth, speak out of your mouth that you are a sinner, if you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for your sins, that he resurrected and now sits at God’s right hand praying for you, you are now saved.

Get a Bible, there are many Bible apps you can download to your phone and read Rom 10:9-10for your confession of faith. In fact, read all of Romans and you will better understand this message.

The peace, quiet, and confidence of God; it starts with righteousness.

Are you looking for a way you can give and show kindness? Well have I got news for you. On this Wednesday we will begin distributing food, free of charge to those who come.

If you would like to support the Food Pantry Ministry of Love Christian Center go to our website, www.lovechristianctr.org and go to the “What’s Happening” page. There you will find all the information about how you can support our food pantry ministry.

If you live in the area and have some time, please come, and help package and distribute food. Whether you live in the area or not, please consider supporting the ministry through giving a donation. Pray about making a recurring gift to this ministry.

Just $80.00 will purchase 1,000 pounds of food to help a family not have to choose between gas for their car or feeding their children, between purchasing their medication or purchasing food.

Maybe you can’t do $80.00, any amount will help. Perhaps you can give more, we appreciate that too.

How will you display your righteousness? Because like love righteousness is also demonstrated by action.