The Beauty Of Silence

The Beauty Of Silence

In a busy world where we spend so much time driving in traffic, watching TV, listening to the radio, playing video games, interacting on cellphones and working long hours, something like silence is a gift that we often overlook.

“Silence is golden”, they say. That means it is both rare and valuable. Have you ever sat in silence for an extended period of time? It’s really not that easy to do.

There is a beautiful story in the Bible, in 1 Kings 18-19, about silence and how God’s prophet learned the true nature of God. The story follows the dramatic victory of Elijah on Mt. Carmel and his ensuing flight for his life through the wilderness to a mountain cave. While He hid on Mt. Horeb, he yearned for the truth about God. As he waited and prayed, Elijah experienced a “great and strong wind.” But God was not in the wind.

Then came an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then a fire, but God was not in the fire.

God used the most powerful elements in nature to teach Elijah that He is not found there. So, how did He show Himself to Elijah?

1 Kings 19:12-13

“...and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

God was telling Elijah that He is not found where we expect Him to be found. Elijah had to look past the noise and the busyness of the world around him and then, when the silence was deafening, He found God.

Let me help you here, in case you are missing it. God was there the whole time. He didn’t just suddenly show up. Elijah couldn’t find Him because he didn’t know what to look for. He was distracted by the world.

Quiet your world around you and you will see that God is right there - right in the silence - where He has been the whole time.

Psalms 46:10

“Cease striving and know that I am God.”