I am a very active person. To be quite honest, it takes a great deal of discipline for me to slow down and get out of the traffic and crowds of life … and the world we live in doesn’t seem to help! It has become loud and noisy.

Have you noticed how hard it is to find a sliver of quiet in an otherwise sound-filled world?

Restoration of soul and a strengthened inner person depend on peace and quiet. It is only when we pull off the frenetic freeway of our busy, sound-filled lives that we are able to hear our own heartbeat and the One who made it.

Look where the Shepherd brings His sheep for their restoration (Psalm 23:2,3). It is lying back in green pastures and beside the quiet stream that the Shepherd restores our soul. The prophet Isaiah told Israel that their strength would not come through frantic planning and alliance building, but through quietness and trust (Isaiah 30:15).

What is it in our human group-think that makes us believe that fast is better than slow, big is better than small, and noise is better than silence? Is there anything that keeps you from valuing quiet? Maybe there is something in you that actually avoids quiet? Do you have tricks or ideas that have helped you create a place of quiet for your soul?