Power in the Silence

By: Kelly Russell

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Truly my soul silently waits for God… Psalm 62:1 (NKJV)

Nearly everything these days makes noise, including our thoughts. Our gadgets can be turned off, and work can wait. Unfortunately, we’ve adjusted our ears to pick up external notifications at the expense of our internal cries. We must learn that stillness isn’t impossible; it’s intentional. When is the last time you were still – reflecting on the majesty of God… receiving the peace of God… rejoicing in the salvation of God?

Even as the Son of God, Jesus often withdrew to a solitary place. When it appeared that nothing was happening, that is when everything happened! In Gethsemane, His flesh and spirit wrestled for surrender. On the cross, a quiet darkness blanketed the earth when Jesus took His last breath. In the tomb, all hope seemed lost. In the silence, power was displayed. Jesus said this world will present trouble for us. So, we pray, we wait, and we may not hear from God—at least not in the way we want or expect. What if silence is the answer?

Here are five things that happen in the silence:

• Preparation: God created you to do good works for Him, but He also must do hard work in you.

• Separation: we are called to be in the world, but to be different from it.

• Restoration: only through a broken, humble spirit can God make things new.

• Transformation: the deepest changes happen in the darkest places.

• Appreciation: everything God allows, learn to be thankful before, during, and after.

Know that silence has a voice of its own. Learning to detect it includes taking our thoughts captive and confessing our sins. God may not be ready to speak, or we may not be ready to listen. It’s never our expectations of God that get Him to move; it’s when we fulfill His expectations of us that things change. In Psalm 62, David reminds himself to wait silently, knowing that God alone was his Rock, Defense, Glory, Strength, and Refuge. Silent times are a blessing to you—body, mind, and spirit. Don’t allow the cares of the world to steal years of life. Priorities that omit God lose their importance. If we don’t choose stillness, it often chooses us through illness, conflict, or loss. As you make your plans, build in time for your soul to seek the Lord in silence.

Reflect on which part of the process God has you in: preparation, separation, restoration, transformation, or appreciation. Are you allowing Him to make you perfect and complete? When you find yourself surrounded by silence, remember the power in the silence.

Read: Habakkuk 2:20, Luke 8:14, 1 John 2:15-16