Tozer Again. Quiet Again.

 

“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ” (Lamentations 3:26) 

Several years ago I had been so blessed by the daily readings from A. W. Tozer, that I heartily recommended the daily email devotion to our church. Some have taken advantage of that free offer. Now, there are numerous solid devotional resources from which to choose, which I highly recommend, viz., Spurgeon's Morning & Evening, Chamber's Utmost For His Highest, etc. And if you wanted something to feed and challenge you, these would bring a great blessing. But don't miss Tozer. He writes well and will reward your effort. He is easy to read, yet deep in application.

I decided to resubmit my email and get on the list, having removed it a couple of years ago. I had read them and to great profit, but thought a hiatus would be appropriate. I had it, and now I am ready to "hear" Tozer again.

Here's the first thought I wanted to share. John the Baptist began his ministry out in the silence of the desert. Tozer focuses on the quietness of his beginnings and recommends it to us all. I say a hearty "Amen" to that! Here's what he says:

In our day we just cannot get quiet enough and serene enough to wait on God. Somebody has to be talking. Somebody has to be making a noise. But John had gone into the silence and had matured in a kind of special school with God and the stars and the wind and the sand....

I do not believe it is stretching a point at all to say that we will most often hear from God in those times when we are silent.

I do believe there are many voices straining to be heard. Some may actually have something to say! Others are there just to prevent our hearing what is most important to hear. It is those voices, it is in those times that we must recognize the pressure and back off, preferring rather to sit in silence before the Lord and to take in his blessing. This is a blessing that will hardly come but to those who wait for it. Let us get into the habit of waiting quietly before the Lord. They never lose who turn everything else off in order that they may listen closely to the loving tones from the Savior.