Stop, Watch and Shut Up! In the recent sermon on the Red Sea crossing, we made a big deal about Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you. You only have to be silent." Somewhat irreverently I said that the process of trusting God salvation is one of 'Stopping', 'Watching', and 'Shutting Up'. That is, instead of continuing our struggle for self-justification, when we hit a wall in our own habits or circumstances, we should stop striving, look to the cross... and shut up. Stop making excuses, complaining and rationalizing.... just wait for the Lord to act.
I thought I was being a bit naughty using this phrase. But then, just this morning, I found a quote by a theologian called Gerhard Forde. It made me feel less naughty. This is what he says.
From the point of view true sanctification is simply to “shut up and listen!” For there can be no more sanctification than where every knee bends and every mouth is silent before God, the only Holy One. And God is revered as the Holy One only where the sinner, the real sinner, stands still at the place where God enters the scene and speaks. That is the place where the sinner must realize that his or her way is at an end. Only those who are so grasped that they stand still here and confess to sin and give God the glory, only they are “sanctified.” And there cannot be more sanctification than that! Whoever knows this knows that there is an end to the old, there is a death involved, and that being a Christian means ever and anew to be blasted by that divine lightning (for we always forget it) and to begin again. As Luther said, “pro ficere, hoc est semper a novo incipere.” (To achieve means always to begin again anew).
Psalm 103 is a wonderful psalm for shutting up. In it, David tells his soul to stop worrying, stop fretting, stop running this way and that. Instead, he tells his soul to simply bless the Lord. In short, he tells his soul to shut up and listen. God is good. God is for you. God will redeem you! Bless the Lord indeed.
Prayer: Lord, speak to me and I will listen. Silence my accusers, within and without. Assure me of your love which is not guaranteed by my goodness, which always fails. Tell me that your love comes from Jesus' goodness, which never fails. Amen
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