“Like a sheep led to the slaughter, He opened not His mouth”
Isaiah 53:7
This is not the typical points to ponder, but it is something very real to me right now. Have you ever been in a position where your character, integrity, ability, etc is being questioned or attacked? Have you ever had those around you challenger your every move, and you feel the need to defend yourself, or “put them in their place” start to rise up within you only to be told by the Holy Spirit to “be quiet?” I have, quite literally all the time.
Just today I was praying about a situation and this verse from Isaiah dropped in my spirit (side note, if you want to know how God speaks to us, it is through His Word…..He will always quote Himself1). I knew immediately what He was telling me to do, “Tammy (those closest to me call me Tammy lol), just be still and be quiet! After a few laughs, tears and eye rolls, I knew God had me in His hands. I knew I didn’t have to fight for myself anymore, and this after years of going around this mountain. Yet, it still bugged me a little. Then I started to think about Jesus in this moment where He was put before Pilot, and Pilot was saying to Him “don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know I have the power to crucify you or set you free (John 19:10)?” Jesus made one statement, a declaration, in John 19:11 “you would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”. Let us take pause and fully grasp the depth of trust Jesus had in His Father in order to make such a declaration knowing what was ahead.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I would have been as calm and kept together as Jesus. Here is Jesus, the Son of God, The Word made flesh, the One who could command all nature to rise up in His defense, and yet He felt no need to defend who He was or His position. He had no need to. He knew who He was and so did His Father in heaven.
It took more strength and trust for Jesus to remain silent, to trust that nothing could happen to Him unless the Father allowed in, than it would have for Him to start to plea His case, to call Pilot out. He knew His mission and He knew that Judas, Pilot, the Soldiers, the Cross and the Grave were all just pieces of the puzzle that needed to be put into place in order for the big picture to be completed.
When you and I fully trust in our Heavenly Father, we will come to realize that, more often than not, we just need be still and quiet. Let it all play out as need be, let Him vindicate, justify, elevate and reward. Noone or nothing can come into your life unless it is given permission from above. There is a greater lesson to be learned, a greater level of glory and spiritual maturity to be elevated to, but better yet, a greater trust in Abba, a new awakening in awareness of His presence in every situation.
Don’t allow a momentary “win” to delay a lesson learned. Don’t chase after the dangling carrot of pride. You will just keep chasing after it as pride is a monster that grows fatter and fatter when fed.
God sees you. He knows who you are, and that is more than enough. You need not open your mouth.