Shhh...Quiet Please!

Be silent before the Lord. Listen and let Him lead you in laying down your life so you can leave behind a lasting legacy.“

Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on earth. Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned”1 Chronicles 1:1-43

Do any of these names mean anything to you? Chronicles takes us back to the beginning and reminds us that we all belong to one family. We all have an origin story that begins before we were born and will go beyond our lifetimes.

Is it not amazing that an entire life can be summarized by just mentioning a name? No description is given of the daily activities or accomplishments of each of the people in this chapter. Just a name and the connection to the family of Christ. When taken in light of all the people who have ever lived, our lives are incredibly brief. A blip on the eternal radar. What kind of mark will your life make on this world? How does this change how we think about how we live?

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. I was silent; I would not open my mouth”Psalms 39:4-9

David said every life is but a breath. Is this not true? You can blink and a decade has gone by. For the young, this seems impossible, but as you age, you realize how time continues to march on regardless of what we choose to make of our days. David sang of numbering days and watching one’s ways. The brevity of life created in David a heart to bow before the eternal, almighty God. What effect does knowing your time is limited have on you?David was a larger-than-life figure in his day, yet silence was his response when he recognized how short life is. How often are you silent before the Lord? How well do you listen and wait on Him? Is it possible that you could better hear from God if you stopped talking so much?

Our culture is not good at silence. It is hard to add followers on social media or feel heard when you are silent. We live in a world of self-gratification and loudspeakers. Jesus says to us that we should listen and follow. Our natural desire is to speak and hold tightly to the steering wheels of our lives. Can you feel the tension? David undoubtedly felt that same tension, but the truth that eternal hope is only found in God helped him let go.

“I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I bought…I also owned more…I amassed silver and gold for myself…I denied myself nothing my eyes desired…Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless…For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered…What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him who can find enjoyment” Ecclesiastes 2:1-26

Have you ever sat with someone who was in their last few days on earth? Maybe a grandparent or mentor? A friend or relative? What did the person talk about when they reminisced about their life? Did they focus on the stock market, how they had stored treasure, or how they had found meaning in the everyday pleasures that attempt to seduce us? No, this just does not happen. People at the end talk about love and the experiences of life.

We can learn a lot from Solomon. He walked the path before us. He pursued every pleasure, took on great projects, and prospered greatly. Yet, as he looked at all he had done, he found no lasting satisfaction in earthly accomplishments or ecstasy found in pleasure-seeking. Wisdom tells us that all that we have, the breath in our lungs and the people we love, the very time we have each day, is a gift to be treasured.Is that how you see your time today? We live in a world that works for the weekend and wants to accumulate enough to do nothing when we retire from whatever profession we choose. We are surrounded by messaging that tells us we need more of everything because what we have is not enough. So we trade our time for more treasure, not realizing that we are trading away our most precious and limited commodity.

What would happen if we stopped listening to a world that does not know what our souls need and we started listening more to God? Is it possible we could learn to see life as a gift? There are no throwaway days. We were not made just to survive until Saturday night.

“‘Hear the word of the Lord…Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place…Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness…He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace…So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar…Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?…your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain…I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.” Jeremiah 22:2-21

Jeremiah said, hear the word of the Lord. Listen. Be quiet. Stop talking. He said, stop living for yourself and seeking to gain more and more cedar. He told the king of Judah that he would not be remembered, and his error was in making life all about himself.

God wants to change the way we look at our lives. God says, do what is right and just. He says what pleases Him is when we are His hands and His feet. Everything God describes about the good life is measured by how it impacts others. The life pleasing to God is a life of service and sacrifice. The reason Solomon could not enjoy his life was that his focus was on finding what pleased him, not God. The same is true for us. If you want to find meaning in your life, listen to Jesus and let Him guide you in using your strengths to meet the world’s needs. You were uniquely made to make a difference, and the moment you find how to do that, you will unlock the hidden beauty of each day.

The good news is you are not on an endless quest without a map. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who guides you to abundant life. He says my sheep hear my voice. If you have ears to hear, He will speak to you. The question today is whether you will be silent so that you can hear what He says.

“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it…The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me…Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light…they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God…If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” John 12:12-47

Jesus models a life pleasing to God. He came to lay His life down for us and invites us to do the same. Jesus shows us what Solomon could never find through pleasure, projects, possessions, or prosperity. The abundant life is not found by getting more for ourselves. It is found when we lay down our lives and build a legacy of love.

Chronicles began with names that remind us that humanity started as one family, yet before long the world was divided. Sin and selfishness separate. They turn our attention inward. Our world tells us to build our own palaces, protect our interests, and pursue the praise of people. Jesus came to bring the family of God back together. Where the world divides, Christ unites.

Jesus said, listen and follow Me. Perhaps that begins with being silent before Him. Stop long enough to remember that your life is a breath. Step out of the rat race and change your pace. Realize that more material possessions do not bring more meaning to your life. Listen to the Good Shepherd. Ask Him who He calls you to be and how to best serve Him.

Lay down your life and watch what God can grow from one surrendered seed. One day, like the names in Chronicles, our earthly lives will end. The houses, honors, and benefits of hard work will be left behind, but the seeds planted will grow long after we are gone.