STILLNESS
“.. the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
(Habakkuk 2:20, NKJV)
How many of us struggle with just being quiet, doing nothing and actually not thinking out solutions? We have become so accustomed to being busy so that when there is a moment when nothing is calling for our attention, we get anxious. When people are looking into retirement, most will carry a fear of being bored wondering what they will be doing with all the time in their hands. Many spend their time on social media, watching the lives of others and collecting the latest stories. While this might seem like a good pass-time, the truth is that it rarely adds any value to our individual lives. In a discussion with others, we agreed that for those who work on social media to make their living, it is a good thing that we watch and follow them but for us the followers we would be hard pressed to explain how this activity contributes to our lives. Yes, we get busy collecting what others want us to follow and this gives us a sense of satisfaction but could it be that we devoting our time to build the lives of others? Could it be that we are using any means possible to fill the gaps in our lives instead of looking within ourselves to see what needs our attention? Beloved, I confess that I am guilty as anyone else in filling gaps, maybe it is time we stepped out of the noise of others and allow our hearts to quietly speak to us.
Throughout the bible, we notice that God spoke to people in moments of their silence not in times of their busyness. He is a jealous God and will not compete for time with us, He allows us to follow our busy schedules and once we are exhausted and seeking a quiet moment, then He speaks. Our reference verse tells us how we are to approach a Holy God, we are to come in stillness, a posture which means that we accord Him full attention. His presence shows up when we give Him undivided devotion and time. It is in the quiet that He gently draws us to Himself. It has been observed by many that God speaks in dreams and visions only when they have calmed themselves down. In the sleep when our minds and bodies are rested, that is when the Holy Spirit communicates with us and when we wake up, we know that we have received a revelation, a divine understanding or message. It is like God chooses the quiet moments to penetrate the layers we have built with our busy lives. We read of Prophet Elijah when he feared for his life and needed to hear God speak to him. As he waited, there was a strong wind which tore the mountain, an earthquake and then a fire, but God was not communicating through these. God finally spoke in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). Beloved, this suggests that we might be missing out on what God communicates to us when we look for His voice in the noise and loud spectacular happenings around us. Just like Habakkuk tells us, we are to be quiet in our spirits if we are to hear His still small voice. When God called Prophet Samuel, He called him in the silence of the night. God allowed Samuel to do what he needed to do in the day, in the night when he was getting to sleep and all around him was quiet, he had a voice calling him. The voice was not thunderous, it was so gentle and close by that Samuel thought it was Eli who was calling him, only to learn it was God speaking to him in the quiet moments of the night (1 Samuel 3: 3-10). Eli the priest had interacted with God before and he recognized that the voice that Samuel was hearing was God’s, so he guided young Samuel to answer when called again. Hearing God calls for our learning, for He will rarely shout in the greatness of His power but will speak in a tone and level that we understand. This is the lesson that Elijah, Eli and Samuel teach us, we are to intently listen for His gentle voice. Beloved, God relentlessly seeks to commune with us, may we be those who create the space to hear Him.
Thoughts:
When have you heard God speak to you?
What has hindered your hearing God’s voice?
How do you approach God when you desire to hear Him?