Peaceful Silence
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5
When I am writing these devotions, 99% of the time it is early in the morning when the house is quiet. I sit at my writing desk with my coffee and wait for an idea to come on shore. Some days the tides roll in and some days they go out. I need His peace to surround me and quiet my crazy thoughts. Cynthia Ruchti (Mornings with Jesus) and I have a lot in common.
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Writers are, by nature observant. Because I’m a noticer, I’m particularly vulnerable to distraction. As I write this, I’m sitting in my hairstylist’s chair, waiting for my color to “cook.” Another patron is engaged in lively conversation with his stylist. The air buzzes with dialogue about future appointments, new hairstyling gadgets, and the latest political buzz. I’m creating devotional thoughts. But the space is too crowded with noise for me to engage with the silence of hope in my heart.
Many people aren’t accustomed to silence and try hard to avoid it. I fill my home and car and office and ears with noise, perhaps to avoid having conversations or hearing myself. Or Jesus.
And even when I crave silence and solitude, it isn’t easy or natural to find. So much competes for my attention. If it isn’t work, it’s family or other responsibilities. And if not those, it’s noise in the name of entertainment or “relaxation” that does anything but help me relax.
IF I truly want to connect with Jesus, to hear Him, I have to have silence. If hope is what I seek, then solitude and silence are where I’ll find it. It’s where Jesus can have my full attention.
My to-do list has a voice, and it only knows how to scream. So today I will raise my hand to it to say, “Silence!” I need to hear my Jesus.
FAITH STEP: What do you need to silence today so you can settle into sweet communication with Jesus?
Loving Lord, thank You for Your Peace! We long for those quiet moments of rest and refreshment that only You can provide. Help us to use that time to focus on You. AMEN.