Waiting on God: Spending Time in His Presence in Silence, Stillness & Expectation by Van Vlymen Michael

Author:Van Vlymen, Michael [Van Vlymen, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ministry Resources
Published: 2019-07-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Silence, Stillness and Rest

The Value of Silence

Silence is defined in the dictionary as

1. complete absence of sound.

synonyms: quietness, quiet, quietude, still, stillness, hush, tranquility, noiselessness, soundlessness, peace, peacefulness, peace and quiet.

Why do I value silence in waiting on the Lord? Natural sound is a connection to the natural realm. Sound in general (unless it is sound for a godly or spiritual purpose) can be a distraction in many ways. When we look at the Lord’s revelation to Elijah, we can see the value of silence or quiet.

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:11-13 KJV)

The noise of the world will try to drown out not only the voice of God but the voice of your spirit and the voice of your conscience. Silence is a place where you can hear your own thoughts and reflect on your life in God.

When you are waiting on the Lord you don’t want anything in the way that might steal your attention or drown out what the Lord may be trying to reveal to you.

This analogy may be understood a bit more by those of us a few years older. If you are driving somewhere unfamiliar or during a rain storm at night, have you ever turned off the radio so that your focus is not diluted? Or if you think your car is making a strange noise you would turn off any competing noises so you can hear what is important. Lastly, have you ever tried to talk to someone about something important and they tell you “Go ahead. I can watch TV and still hear you just fine.” I think most of us have experienced that.

When we come before the Lord in silence, we are making a statement. Lord there is nothing I want to hear more than your voice. What you have to say to me or show me is important. I’m not saying that we don’t speak to God even in the hustle and bustle of our day but there is something special about hiding away with the Lord in silence to listen to His voice.

Here again, just as we learned about looking with eyes closed, when you listen when there are no natural sounds to hear, we begin to tune into the sounds of Heaven and the things of the spirit.

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