Psalm 62:1  For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.   

When’s the last time you simply sat in silence?   I don’t even mean a place that lacks any exterior noise.  I mean silence- inside and out.  There seems to be no place for silence in our world today.   From the minute we wake up until the minute we go to sleep, there is noise.   We look at our phones.  We turn on the news.  We talk to those around us.  We have the radio on in the car.  We are, I believe, a society addicted to noise.

But silence is like water.  Once you get used to drinking pretty much just water, you start to crave it.   Once you get used to silence in your world, you crave it.  Why?  Because He speaks in a still, small voice.   And when He speaks, peace flows like a river.  And peace is the great gift of salvation.

I believe, in an odd way, we use noise to seek peace.  What I mean is, I believe that we spend so much time running from our pain, our feelings, our bad memories, our fears, our depression, our anger, that we use noise to drown out our own internal voice.  We stay busy- externally and internally- to avoid feeling, to avoid facing, to avoid the very process that would lead to even more freedom within us. It’s a futile thing.   But it’s an addiction to noise that comes from the same place as an addiction to anything else- drugs, alcohol, you name it.

Yes, I know this well because I am the queen of avoidance.  To coin an old phrase, “Denial isn’t a river in Egypt”.   I have very often run to noise and stimulation in order to avoid quietness and the opportunity it brings to have to face my own feelings.  Yet, the minute I realize I’m doing it again, I get still and get quiet and heaven help me, it’s like the best gift on the planet!  God reveals, God purges, and I no longer have to run to noise. Today this happened and when I became silent, I realized that Oct 11th is the 21st anniversary of my mother’s death- and I was running from the pain, somewhere deep inside.  And He met me there.  I’m stil sad but now at least I know why.

Silence is beautiful.  In quietness and confidence shall be our strength!  That’s one of my favorite scriptures.  It’s Isaiah 30:15.

Try some silence on for size.  I mean total silence.  Don’t move, Don’t talk.  Turn the ever racing thoughts off in your head.  If you find that elusive, close your eyes and picture the face of Jesus and look into His eyes.  Feel His hand stroking slowly across your brain, calling it to peace, calming it down.  Feel it calm your restless thoughts…. and just be.  Be a human being and not a human doing.

For God alone my soul waits in silence.

He will meet you there.  He longs to meet you there.

Take away:   Turn it all of.  Close the door.   Make a way to be silent for a few minutes every single day.   Calm your thoughts.   Ease your mind.   Focus on whatever brings a rush of peace over your body.  And wait on the Lord.   He’s there, in the silence, loving you.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I will wait in silence for you.  You are my salvation.