Silence is something we often take for granted - at least I know I do. It's not often that I literally just sit in silence. Usually from the moment that I wake up, I start playing either worship music on my phone or turn on my Charley Pride record to get my day started. This continues throughout the day, where it seems like every waking moment I have is filled with noise of some sort. However, lately God has been prompting me to just appreciate the silence. After all, He is a "still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-13), and how can I hear Him clearly with all the noise surrounding me constantly?
As I was reading through Acts 21 this morning, a particular part of verse 34 stuck out to me. (This passage in the Bible is talking about when the Apostle Paul was arrested in Jerusalem.) The verse in its entirety says, "Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks." (I put the part that stood out to be in bold, in case you didn't catch that.) I read that part over and over again, while The Holy Spirit revealed to me how there are times in which we are unable to hear the truth because of all the noise around us. Wow! Isn't that a testament we can all relate to? Look at the world around us: it's filled with total chaos and constant commotion to where it almost feels abnormal to have complete and utter silence. We are always filling the empty void of silence with something - listening to music, watching reels or TikTok videos, tuning into the latest horrific and fear-mongering news reports... yet we don't just take time to appreciate the moments where there is absolutely no noise whatsoever. (I know moms out there may even face fear of silence because usually that means their child(ren) is/are up to no good.)
Let me ask you: what is so terrifying of silence? It's Biblical! There are so many verses that point back to the importance of silence and not only sitting in it, but also at times having to hold back our tongues from speaking (Proverbs 11:12, Proverbs 17:28). Even Jesus did this on several occasions (Mark 15:4-5, Mark 14:61, John 19:9). Another passage that I was reading today was referring to when the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:1–27). In order for the walls to fall down, they had to spend six days in silence - then God's promise was fulfilled on the seventh day, when the walls finally fell to the ground. Silence is important, ya'll!
Whew, sorry - I get excited when The Lord speaks! Anywho... I urge you to spend time in silence. Whether that's setting aside some time first thing in the morning, before going to bed, or on your lunch break - please find time to appreciate the stillness and see the beauty in the void of noise. It's so fulfilling to me, and I pray it will be satisfying to you as well.
Finally, reflect on and remember this verse: "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14, ESV)
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