September 12, 2017
Embracing Silence
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; for my expectation is from Him (Psalm 62:5, ASB).
Friend to Friend
Elijah is a great example of a man in need of rest. One day he was the conquering hero, the next time we see him, he is sitting under a Juniper tree, wallowing in self-pity – and begging God to let him die. The poor man was simply exhausted. True, it was an exhaustion produced by victory, but it was still exhaustion.
Elijah called down fire from heaven, proving the existence of the only true God, destroying idols and idol worshippers. Elijah should have been celebrating. So why was he so discouraged? It was a woman, Jezebel, who was largely responsible for his discouragement.
Jezebel was the evil and influential wife of Ahab, King of Israel, and was widely known as the real power behind her husband’s throne. Jezebel did not worship the one true God of Israel. Instead, she was fanatical in her worship of the pagan god, Baal, and tried to impose her beliefs on the people of Israel. One man stood in her way – Elijah. When Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown on Mount Carmel, God answered Elijah's prayer with a stream of fire from heaven. You would think that a miracle like that would have convinced Ahab and Jezebel to believe in God. It didn’t. In fact, Jezebel was furious. When she learned what had happened on Mt. Carmel with the fire and idols, she put a contract out on Elijah.
Now stop and think about that for a moment.
Elijah had been in the presence of God. God answered Elijah's prayer in a powerful way. Idols had fallen. The prophets of Baal had either fled or been destroyed. And Elijah is worried about one angry woman? Elijah was tired and needed to rest – big time. He found that rest while sitting under a Juniper tree, waiting in silence for God to show up.
I’m not very good at waiting. I don’t like to wait on anyone or anything. I often view the waiting rooms of life as missed opportunities and unproductive circumstances to be avoided whenever possible. And as far as silence goes, if there is a word to be spoken, I will gladly speak it. For much of my life, I have tried my best to avoid silence and solitude. I am learning that while the seasons of silence and the waiting rooms of life are different in nature and purpose, they are always for my ultimate good.
Silence sometimes falls like a sweet, gentle and refreshing rain. I don't have to do anything, be anything, or seek anything. The Father gently reassures my frightened heart that He is not going anywhere.
But there are also times when waiting in silence feels more like a bottomless pit from which there is no escape. The darkness is filled with fear. Unanswered questions threaten my peace. I am lonely. I don’t understand what God is doing. I am tired. Quitting seems like the easiest way out.
It doesn’t really matter what compels us to crave time under the Juniper tree. It only matters that we come.
Clinical depression brought me to my knees and drove me to seek God as never before. It was there that His truth pierced my heart and changed the course of my life with the promise found in Psalm 40:1-3:
I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD (Psalm 40:1-3, NIV).
I had read the book of Psalms many times, but in the silence under my personal Juniper tree, it settled into my soul and really took root. I began to learn how to wait on God. I came to the precious place of desperation and cried out to Him. I made the deliberate choice to trust Him like the helpless child that I am. I began to realize that anyone or anything that makes me cry out to God could be counted as a blessing.
I am learning to embrace the silent times of waiting as gifts from His hand to my life. So time under the Juniper tree is good. Sometimes I just need to be reminded. How about you?
Let’s Pray
Thank You, Lord, for arranging the circumstances of my life so that I must stop and sit at Your feet in quiet solitude. Thank You for the healing I find there. Thank You for the new truths You give me. Help me apply those truths and then give me the strength and determination to share Your plan of deliverance with those who need your restoration.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Do you long for times of silence or avoid them whenever possible? Why? I encourage you to find a few minutes each day this week to spend in silence before God. Establish the habit of a silent retreat when possible. Read the Psalms daily and keep your gaze on God.
More from the Girlfriends
We will never be free from stress this side of heaven – so we need to figure out how to deal with it. That’s why I wrote the book, Escaping the Stress Trap, which is a verse-by-verse study of Psalm 23. If you read Psalm 23 every day for a month, I promise you will see a difference in your stress level.
Check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website.And be sure to connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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