The Sound of Silence is So Sweet

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

Learn something in every situation. After seven weeks in isolation, many of us are beginning to reflect on our current circumstances and trying to find some takeaways from being secluded from people other than our families. As relational people, we struggle when in seclusion. Those business lunches and afternoon coffee meetings don’t seem the same without people.

If there is one thing silence teaches us, it is to listen to God. Many people struggle with this idea because they don’t want to listen to anyone. But it does take discipline. How can silence help us? The easiest way to hear from God is to read his word. Has this time of silence and solitude away from the hustle and grind of daily chaos allowed you to hear from God? What has He impressed on your heart? What changes has He encouraged you to make? How will you emerge from this time of social distancing as a spiritually different person? I believe it is essential to take the time God has given you to listen to Him. I am confident that His word is precisely what you need. We think we need people, but maybe in this time of reflection, we need God instead. Maybe God wants to use this time to rekindle our hearts and stoke the fire of devotion in our hearts.

God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He’s so good to me. It was a song I sang in church year after year growing up. But as we reflect in silence, we should be able to grasp that concept with so much more meaning. God is so good to us. Some of us are facing upcoming surgeries, loss of family members, and extended time away from our churches and family. But that doesn’t change the goodness of God. It should only make us embrace that truth even more.

Silence helps us to reflect without distractions. Find that quiet time when you and God can be alone in His word. Read His word. Allow it to sink into your soul. Allow His word to refresh your soul. I want you to know today that regardless of your situation, God’s goodness never changes. His love for us never changes, and His desire for us to experience His best for us never changes.

The mystery of all mysteries for many of us is trying somehow to figure out God’s will for our lives. Some with sickness assume God wants them to live a life of suffering. However, I believe a life of suffering can bring attention to a comforting and powerful God. Understanding God’s will for your life begins with understanding that it starts with God and not us. God has indeed given us a personality and skills to do certain things. But it mainly starts with God and where He wants to use those gifts He’s given to you.

When we seek God in the silence to explore His will for our lives, I believe He is faithful and just to let us in on His plans. But in our silence, we sometimes come impatient, and this impatience can cause us to miss out on God’s best for us. When we move ahead of God’s plan for us, we take the path most difficult for us.

What are you hearing today?