“Quiet is a posture of my soul before my Heavenly Father.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 29, 2025
By Mez Stead
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2
Quiet is an elusive beast, like the white hart of medieval legends: a beautiful vision, always just out of reach. And no wonder! Never before have there existed so many ways to fill every void in one’s day and mind with information, entertainment, and productivity hacks. The barrage of information makes us feel as if we are accomplishing… something. And, after all, isn’t the measure of our days how much we accomplish? Surely being still or quiet is a backward step? How could I quiet my soul before the Lord? There is simply too much to do.
This is too often my way of thinking. I know that making space to be quiet and listen to the Lord is a good thing to do. I am also an expert at making excuses not to do it: “I’ll spend more time in quiet with God when the kids are older,” or “when I finish this big project,” or “when I finally get disciplined enough to wake up at 4am.” But what if being quiet is not a matter of hard-core discipline or perfect “some-day” conditions? What if, rather, quiet is a posture of my heart towards my Heavenly Father, a gift He longs to give me, but one I consistently shun in favor of something easier, flashier, or more “productive”?
“I have calmed and quieted my soul.” King David who penned these words was a busy man to say the least; and yet he took time to be quiet before the Lord, and in that quiet he found intimacy with God.
How can I choose quiet today, in the midst of the day’s demands? Perhaps it’s as simple as starting my day with a prayer of thanks rather than reaching for the phone. Or choosing to read a Psalm while nursing the baby rather than scroll social media. Maybe it’s flicking off the radio to meditate on one verse while I sit in the pickup line, or noticing something beautiful in God’s creation on my walk to the mailbox rather than reciting my to-do list for the hundredth time. I could pause each noon to say the Lord’s prayer, or even simply sit in quiet for five minutes and see if maybe, just maybe, the Lord has something He’s been waiting to say. We don’t need to achieve quiet. It’s a gift. And if a gift, perhaps we need only come with open hands to our Father, like that weaned little child with its mother, and receive it.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, teach me to quiet my soul before you. I want to hear your voice and know your presence more intimately. Help me to put aside the distractions within and without that keep me from drawing near to you. Amen
Application
You can receive the Lord’s gift of his quieting presence even in the midst of life’s demands, so don’t wait for “someday.”
Related Reading
1 Kings 19:12; Isaiah 26:3 and 30:15; Matthew 18:3-4; Matthew 11:28-29
Worship Resource
Sandra McCracken: Patient Kingdom
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