Sit Down, Be Quiet, And Listen

 “Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.” (Jer 8:14 AV)

The prophet asks his congregation why it was they sit still.  What he meant by that was sitting still in their homes and communities without making any effort to congregate and listen to the word of God.  They may be sitting still. But they are not sitting still in the right place and for the right reason.  They are not keeping silent.  They are not assembling before the LORD and allowing the ministry of the word of God to change them.  In other words, their stillness was not silent.  It was inactivity.  They were doing nothing towards repentance and change.  Spiritually speaking, they sit idle.  In fact, it was a bit more troublesome than just sitting idle.  They were sitting in their backslidden state, worshipping their idols and allowing sin to run rampant.  This chapter starts Jeremiah’s experience of burnout. He begins to realize his congregation has no intention of changing, so he quits the ministry.  At least for a time.  The best advice he gave to his people is above.  Sit in the presence of God, keep your mouth shut, and let the Holy Spirit do His work!

There has been a worsening trend among God’s people for a generation.  The LORD gloriously saved me about thirty-eight years ago.  A lot has changed since then.  When I was a young man of my twenties, it was quite an experience to attend a Bible Conference or Revival.  The church was packed.  People took vacation time to attend.  In those days, a Revival or Conference lasted two weeks.  Preaching was from 9:00 am until Noon.  Then it picked back up again at 7:00 pm and went until we couldn’t take any more.  Usually around eleven.  We did this for two solid weeks.  Our mission’s conference was an entire week.  Special speakers spattered throughout the years often spoke for an entire week.  Now, our Revivals are over a weekend.  Our missions conferences are nor more than a few days.  We are so busy chasing after other interests, we don’t seem to have any time for God.  We don’t like to sit and be quiet.  We need to be active.  We can't do our devotions because that would require an hour out of our day.  We cannot journal because that takes time away from more important things.  It is no wonder preachers are struggling with teaching some of the basics of the Christian life to those who have claimed the name of Christ for years.  It astounds me.  I have been doing this for over thirty-some years and I find Biblical illiteracy at an all-time high.  Please who should know some of the basics are ignorant.  I even find those who have been saved don’t know what it is like to be led by the Holy Spirit through the scriptures.  They are not familiar with the voice of God.

The prophet is begging his people to be still enough to listen to what the LORD has to say.  He does not have the time to go from house to house.  The Biblical way in which to share the word of God is through the assembly of God’s people.  He is asking them to challenge their spiritual inactivity by assembling and keeping quiet.  He is begging them to come and hear the voice of God.  He is seeking a people who will sit and listen to what the Spirit has to say because their freedom depends upon it.  They sit in their own homes and ignore the word of God to their peril.  They busy themselves with the affairs of this life when this life will pass.  There is no regard for eternity.  There is no regard for the coming judgment of God.  There is no regard for what the LORD thinks or how the LORD feels.  If they do not assemble, sit down, and be quiet so the LORD can speak, then there is no hope for a nation that has backslid.  The same is true of the child of God today.  There has to be time set apart for the LORD to speak.  We need to keep our opinions to the trash heap they belong and allow the LORD to speak.  We need to put our spiritual books down and pick up the word of God!  We need to sit down, keep quiet, and let the LORD do the work.