Silence is Golden II

Have you ever seen or heard something that momentarily took your breath away?  This seems to have happened to Daniel and others who during silence encountered God. Maybe this is why Andrew Murray once wrote, “The very thought of God in His majesty and holiness should silence us.” If this be true then we should focus on two things, first seeing Him and then hearing what He has to say. The very importance of this gets reinforcement from Matt Redmond who writes, “In His presence, we still our heart and silence our tongue in wonder and reverence before a holy God. And often these moments of stillness take us even deeper into Him—creating essential space for us to hear the voice of God.”  This means we should appreciate those times when we are able to steal away from the hustle and bustle of life. Yet when faced with moments of stillness, many of us rush in to fill the space not knowing how to handle it. In church we get nervous and add another song, a brief commentary or scripture reading. And we do no better in our personal lives. The void is filled with TV, IPods, and cell phone chatter. But do we not need to carve out moments of hushed beholding in our daily lives? Do we not need those stilled occasions where He has center stage? Does He not deserve for us to create an environment within our heart where the only voice to be heard is His? Redmond suggests maybe we should ask ourselves the question Bill Hybels asks himself periodically. “Is the ambient noise level of my life low enough for me to hear the whispers of the Lord?”  The only way we are able to hear above the noise is to practice the words of Psalms 131 where the author states, “I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.”  To cultivate means to make a determined effort.  It was in the stillness that Elijah heard from God during a depressed, discouraging season of ministry. It was the same with the disciples as they stood huddled together in a small room experiencing loneliness and fear. As we engage in the quiet moments two truths will emerge. The circumstances that necessitate our hearing God will forever be changing. And the voice we will hear in the stillness will forever be changeless. That’s why SILENCE IS GOLDEN.