“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
How do we position ourselves to be quieted by God’s love?
There’s no one single answer, but I’d like to share how I’ve experienced it. Our family has walked through some very deep valleys together. And it’s been during times of complete uncertainty about the future that I’ve witnessed God’s Spirit miraculously quiet me by His love. Even the choking thorns of doubt could not vanquish the power of God’s love in my life.
Doubt, if allowed to take root, grows overnight like the “devil weeds” in my flower beds. (I don’t know their botanical name, but I’ve battled them for years!) Their roots attach themselves to the nearest half-ton boulder, and no matter how hard I tug, they never come up without breaking a hoe—or my back. Doubt works the same way. If it’s allowed to grow, it becomes almost impossible to uproot without supernatural help. Doubt in God robs us of His peace. Trust restores peace. Without God, we are left with only our limited human solutions.
Doubt steals peace, while trust brings us deeper into God’s presence.
So how do we learn to trust God and thus be quieted by His love? Well, we can’t trust someone we don’t know. After we are born again, we must seek to know God. The better we know Him, the more we will trust Him. Trusting God isn’t optional if we desire to have a closer relationship with Him and be quieted by His love. It’s imperative. We must practice.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8
If we want God to quiet us with His love, we must train our minds to seek Him first. We must ask God to change our hearts to keep Him in the center of our lives. If human wisdom conflicts with God’s Word, we must choose God’s way. Even when it doesn’t make sense. When we consistently seek God, we position ourselves to be quieted by His love. And if we truly want to stay there, we must train ourselves to trust God more than we trust ourselves.
When we are resting in God, we see the promised land even when we’re still traveling through the wasteland.
Are you anxious about your circumstances and having trouble trusting God? Here is a simple checklist I use to return to the place where God quiets me with His love:
- Read and memorize His Word.
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 - Talk and listen to God.
“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Give thanks to God for everything—even the trouble.
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Make opportunities to demonstrate His love by loving others.
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39
I promise you—and far more importantly, God promises you—that when you obey Him because you love Him, you will experience His supernatural presence.
God is love. He is the only One who can quiet you in HIS love.
My dear friend, there is no one in your life—except God—who has kept every promise made to you. He loved you even when He knew it would cost Him everything. There is no one you can trust more than God.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Reflection Thought
God’s love is not just something you know—it’s something you experience when you trust Him more than yourself. He quiets your heart in a way no one else can.
Prayer
Father God, help me to trust You with all my heart. I confess that too often I lean on my own understanding and let doubt creep in. Please quiet my soul with Your love. Teach me to seek You first, to be led by Your Word, and to let go of my anxious thoughts. Thank You for loving me perfectly, patiently, and fully. I want to live in the security of Your presence today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
