For thus the Lord has told me,
“I will look from My dwelling place quietly
Like dazzling heat in the sunshine,
Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest,” (18:4).

God Determines every Time for every human and every event. And He does so, that all of mankind would reach out to find Him.

and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us, (Acts 17:26-27).

But today, a picture is painted of Him sitting Quietly in the heavens. No frantic rush. While everything seems helter-skelter, when the enemy (a people feared far and wide, a powerful and oppressive nation) is encroaching, God is Quietly looking on from His place in heaven.

Quietly: 8252. שָׁקַט šāqaṭ: A verb meaning to be still, to be quiet, to be undisturbed. The primary meaning of this verb is the state or condition of tranquility…” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

But His Quietly does not mean indecisively; His Quietly does not mean hesitantly, His Quietly does not mean indifferently, and His Quietly definitely does not mean powerlessly. His Quietly means waiting, undisturbed, until the time is right. And only God is able to maintain tranquility when all hell seems to be breaking loose. Only God, because nothing is outside the realm of His powerful control; only God Quietly Determines the Times.

Consider Him Who Quietly Determines the Times

• He Quietly Determines the Time when the trumpet will sound.
  • All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth,
    As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it,
    And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it, (18:3).

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed, (1 Corinthians 15:52).

• He Quietly Determines the Time when pruning occurs.
  • For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms
    And the flower becomes a ripening grape,
    Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives
    And remove and cut away the spreading branches, (18:5).
    

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit,” (John 15:1).

• He Quietly Determines the Time when His enemies will bow before Him.
  • At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts
    From a people tall and smooth,
    Even from a people feared far and wide,
    A powerful and oppressive nation,
    Whose land the rivers divide—
    To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, even Mount Zion, (18:7).
    

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:10-11).

How do we respond to Him Who Quietly Determines the Times?

Our Times are in His hands. Our Time of birth and death have been Determined by Him before we were ever born.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them, (Psalm 139:16).

And He Quietly Determines the Time of judgment.

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27).

We do not know the day or hour of that day, when He will come again; for He alone Quietly Determines the Times.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone,” (Matthew 24:36).

He Quietly Determines the Times. There is no noise or commotion in the heavens, there are no voices of many counselors. He does not confer with others. He alone Quietly Determines the Times. But we must always remember: His Quietly does not mean indecisively; His Quietly does not mean hesitantly, His Quietly does not mean indifferently, and His Quietly definitely does not mean powerlessly. But His Quietly does involve His patience.

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, (Psalm 86:15).

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance, (2 Peter 3:9).

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).

Some presume that because He kindly and patiently waits, that His Quietly articulates His inactivity, inability, insignificance, or worse, inexistence.

May we never forget, just because He is Quietly working in indiscernible ways, that absolutely does not mean that He is indecisive, hesitant, or indifferent; and it certainly does not mean He is powerless. He is patient; giving us an opportunity to share with others the hope we have in Jesus Christ, and giving those who have yet to receive His gift of salvation, the opportunity to hear and respond in faith to the message of the wisdom of His gospel.

Lord, we believe that You, and You alone, Quietly Determine the Times. We thank You for the salvation we have in our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Lord, please, may we live to honor You in our hearts, that we would be made fit and ready as Your vessels of kindness. And Lord, may we always regard Your patience as the opportunity to share the message of the steadfast hope we have in the One Who Quietly Determines the Times.

honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, (1 Peter 3:15 HCSB).

Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him, (2 Peter 3:15 HCSB).

Let’s Grow Together!