DEAFENING SILENCE

I had the privilege of attending a retreat recently where God provided several blessings. I was renewed and filled with joy at experiencing the Spirit’s presence. One way was by being able to go outside to view the lake, the few colorful leaves remaining on the trees this fall, and the pure beauty of the whole area. The temperature was warm enough to not freeze, despite being November, which was an extra blessing.

Retreats are always a great time to be still with the Lord, as we take time to get away from the busyness of life and the often hectic pace at which we live. A favorite verse that comes to mind is:

 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  –Psalm 46:10-11  (NIV)

God tells us, with this passage, to take time to be still, and we will know in our hearts that He is dwelling with us. What a beautiful gift that is! God and His greatness are exalted among the nations and the entire earth. Yes, the Lord, who is our fortress, is always with us, revealing His presence.

This particular weekend, whenever I went outside, I experienced the stillness of all of creation, which brought me a wonderful sense of peace and oneness with God. The first night, though, it was not deafening silence. The only sounds I heard were a metal chain banging against the flagpole and two leaves moving along the blacktop. Watching the leaves made me chuckle a bit as one leaf would move and then the other right after the first, making noise as the wind moved them. I couldn’t help but think about how it was symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s wind blowing across the land. Spirit, blow your flame into my spirit.  On the second day, each time I went outside, a deafening silence greeted me. It was especially beautiful at night, while gazing at the many lights along the shoreline and surrounding areas, to soak in the pure, deafening silence.

 

Photo courtesy of Sharon Tate Soberon under Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.  –Psalm 131:1-3  (NIV)

I believe this short psalm is a beautiful testament to how we can live victoriously. If we walk humbly with the Lord as our guide, we can move toward a place of calmness of spirit. As we take more time to be still with the Lord, we gain a sense of great peace and contentment, just as a nursing baby does. The Lord is always our peace and hope.

The stillness of the water, seeing the trees and all of creation, and hearing only the deafening silence filled my spirit with peace and tranquility. Everything was just being as God created it to be. It is a great thing to be one with the Spirit, as we are filled with His presence.  The peace we experience indeed goes beyond what our finite minds can understand.

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  –Philippians 4:6-7  (NLT)

I pray that in the deafening silence you experience God’s presence, where you share your heart’s needs and desires with Him. May it yield a peace so beautiful in your spirit as you live for Jesus each day.

 

Photo courtesy of Church Iglesia under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

Be encouraged this week to…

…take time each day to be still with the Lord.

…recognize the presence of the Lord in the stillness.

…experience the peace in the stillness.

…put your hope in the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

When have you experienced great stillness and God’s presence?
When has God’s peace flooded your spirit?

 

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”  –Mark 4:39-40  (ESV)