What is your favorite time of the day and why? I have three favorite
times: morning, afternoon and evening! Sound strange? Let me tell you
why... I like morning because I am usually the first one up and the house
is silent. I like the afternoon because it is a pause in the middle of
my day, after the morning and before the evening, and is usually when
I stop to have my favorite cup of tea. I like the evening because after
all is said and done, the house again is silent. I enjoy silence - and
need it! The Bible says in Ecc. 3:7, "...a time to keep silence..."
Contrary to popular belief, God Himself says there is a time and a place
for silence in our lives; it is pleasing to Him! Silence helps me reflect,
recharge and keep going. Silence heals the blows of sound… I consider
silence a gift, and I am sure that most mothers would agree with me, amen?!
:-) It is a gift that I enjoy unwrapping often! I also see the power of
silence, yet there are many who run from it. Do you typically avoid silence,
or cultivate it? Jesus actively pursued silence and encouraged His disciples
to do so as well…
Mark 6:31 (KJV)
And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and
rest a while...
As I read this verse, I thought, how true - if we don't come apart, we'll
actually “come apart” - right at the seams, amen? You see, three wonderful
things are born in the womb of silence - listening, prayer and truth.
With silence we irritate the devil himself because silence is a way to
put a stop to inner conflict. Ladies, we need to run toward silence, not
away from it! Do you feel compelled to surround yourself with noise? Perhaps
you like the noise of the T.V. in the background, Christian radio always
playing, preaching tapes in the car while you drive... Even our vacations,
those times we get away to unwind, are often filled with "noise" as we
jam pack our schedules full of things to do, see and experience. The greatest
events are not our noisiest, but our stillest hours... In this rowdy day
and age silence has become a very fearful thing! For most people, silence
creates irritation and nervousness. Many experience silence not as full
and rich, but as empty and hollow. For them silence is like a gaping abyss
which threatens to swallow them up! I think even our quiet time with God
is rarely accompanied by true silence. We're afraid to enter it alone...
We have our prayer lists to go through, our devotional books to read,
our journals to fill out, our notes to take etc. When are we ever truly
silent before the Lord??
Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The power of silence is the cleansing effect that it has. As silence reveals
the sin in your heart, it is doing exactly what it is intended to do!
God knows that, and all throughout scripture the Bible exhorts us to be
quiet before Him. Ladies, we need to break away from our crazy schedules
and restore peace to our souls on a regular basis! You will be amazed
at the strength it brings you to be still before the Lord. Spiritual renewal
is born in an atmosphere of silence before God...
Isaiah 41:1 (KJV)
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength:
let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to
judgment.
When we come near to God, it is most often to speak, not to be silent,
amen? We have many desires for which we intend to petition the Lord. Yet
this verse says we should come near, keep silence before Him, THEN speak.
The truth is, silence draws us closer to God more than constantly speaking
ever will! We get to talking so much, we forget to be silent before the
Lord and reflect upon Him! No wonder He's not exalted in our lives as
He should be. Ladies, don't let the world deafen you to the truth about
your heart's condition. Don't be afraid of silence! God is there and He
wants you to find out where your heart is. He wants you to draw closer
to Him, to find joy again. Today, if your life is filled with chaos, it
isn't God who led you there! You alone have chosen to fill your life with
all that noise. The Lord has a better road for you and I to travel in
this life - the pathway of silence....
Psalm 23: 2-3 (KJV)
...He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul...
Many years ago, a little boy was given a priceless possession: his deceased
grandfather's gold pocket watch. How he treasured it! But one day, while
playing at his father's ice plant, he lost the watch amid all the ice
and sawdust. He searched and scratched, becoming frantic, but no watch.
Then he suddenly realized what to do. He stopped scurrying around and
became very still. In the silence, he heard the watch ticking and the
treasure was recovered!
What treasure might you need to recover today?? Ladies, God has given
each of us a priceless gift of joy and peace in Jesus. It is impossible
to live in your inner most being where Christ lives without loving silence...
How easy it is to lose that joy and peace in the scurrying around of life
and the forsaking of those precious times of silence before God! Rest
for our weary souls is always nearby to find, if we will but pause and
listen to the beautiful presence of Jesus in our hearts…
Isaiah 14:7 (KJV)
The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
Has it been a long time since your heart broke forth into singing on it's
own? Can't sing because there is a battle raging within you, a storm raging
without? Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness. Come ye
yourselves apart, and be silent before God, and let the Lord calm your
insides, and whisper, "Peace, be still" to the storm surrounding you.
You'll be ever so glad you did....
Psalm 107:29-30 (KJV)
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then
are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired
haven.
Mark 4:39 (KJV)
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
What is your desired haven today? I'll bet it is peace! Peace within and
peace without. Am I right? You can't have peace without first coming apart
and finding rest for your soul in the presence of the Father. I think
one reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel
so helpless. We are so accustomed to relying upon our words to manage
and control others. If we are silent, who will take control?? To be alone
with silence is to be alone with God. God will take control; but we will
never let Him take control until we trust Him. Silence is intimately related
to trust, ladies. It is the ultimate expression of our reverence… The
Lord is waiting for you to be silent, to rely upon Him so He can restore
calmness to your soul!
Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV)
But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before
him.
Silence before God is a peacemaker... You see, that old expression still
rings true: "Silence is Golden". But may I personally add something to
that? "Because God meets us there!" You'll never know though, until you
give it a try…
For thy great gift, O Father,
We thank thee today -
The gift of silence;
For the rich, warm, generous silence
We thank thee,
Wherein our souls,
Stunted and shriveled and starved
In the arid desert of everyday hurry and strain,
May rest, and quietly grow, and expand
Upward to thee.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
