Silence: Its Power and Necessityنموونە

Silence: Its Power and Necessity

Zephaniah 3:17 –The LORD your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.

Silence heals because it brings perspective. In the silence it becomes unnecessary to perform. I do not need to explain, compare, justify, or pretend. There, in the silence before God, I can freely be who I am and who He made me to be. In the silence He wants to teach us, reveal Himself to us, and help us to see who we really are.

Sometimes those times of silence in the presence of God reveal our sins, disobedience, and weaknesses. At other times it brings deeper intimacy with God. Whoever wants to know God more must learn to wait on Him in silence. Extended periods of silence and isolation are deeply beneficial to people who are suffering from burnout, heightened stress, and the effects of constant pressure.

Silence is a condition for listening. It is also essential for meditative reflection. God speaks through His Word and silence. Even with the Bible in our hands, God's silences can be like thunder in our ears. The Bible in our hands does not guarantee God's presence. It is in the silences that many "God encounters" take place.

Silence fosters creativity. It is in the silence that new images emerge, fresh ideas develop, and new plans are formed. Silence and rest break old patterns, habits, ideas, and concepts. We cannot meaningfully interact with others without quiet time to reflect, evaluate, judge, and question. Silence brings renewal, new strength, new insight, new courage, and new conviction.

Silence does not mean that we are alone. God is in the silence. God is there all the time. Yes, we can choose to ignore God in the silence when we choose to do that the result will be loneliness, confusion and disillusionment. Silence without knowing that God is there and without meeting with God makes us spiritual orphans. When we know that God is omnipresent and we open ourselves to Him in the silence, it becomes a time of fullness, a sacred encounter with God, and a time of hope and fulfilment as we are filled with God.