“We find complete silence shocking because it leaves the impression that nothing is happening.”
- Dallas Willard
To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. —Eccles. 5:1-2
God uses silence to produce something better in us that noise never could.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. —Psalm 62:5
9 And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. —1 Kings 19:9-15
God speaks in the silence.
Silence is vulnerable.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” —Ps. 46:10
Silence is not weakness, it’s surrender.
Build silence.
Protect silence.