THE DISCIPLINE OF SILENCE

Job 13:3-5; 40:1-5
3 I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. 4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! 5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. . . .

1 The Lord said to Job: 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? Let him who accuses God answer Him!" 3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 "I am unworthy--how can I reply to You? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer--twice, but I will say no more."


"Sssh." Have you ever wondered how long that traditional hushing sound has been around? Probably hundreds of years. The Old Testament book of Job may give us an indication. God had to hush that old patriarch and his friends who just couldn't stop giving their opinions about one of life's mysteries: Why do people suffer? God didn't exactly stop Job's chatter with a "sssh," but with a "whoosh!" He got Job's attention with a whirlwind. Earlier in the book, Job had really been upset with his friends and told them to stop talking--so he could start talking. But in the end, even he had to shut his mouth so he could listen to God.

That's the main thing about developing the discipline of silence: it helps us hear God. The prophet Elijah learned this in a situation even more dramatic than Job's. God got Elijah's attention with a whirlwind too, but He followed it with an earthquake and then fire. This man, who himself was the voice of God to the people of Israel, was startled by the noise. But what caught his ear was what came in the silence that followed: the Lord's "gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12). We can learn from these two important appearances of God to people He loved that we need to stop our incessant talking and start listening. We need times of silence to hear the voice of God speaking to us.

Our silence keeps us from saying things that are wrong or hurtful. William Penn, the "father of Pennsylvania," left a letter of advice to his children. Among hundreds of wise admonitions, he wrote, "True silence is the rest of the mind. It is to the spirit what sleep is to the body: nourishment and refreshment. It is a great virtue: it covers folly, keeps secrets, avoids disputes, and prevents sin."

Then he referred his children to Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."--Dean Ohlman

DESTINATION POINTS

* Am I uncomfortable with silence? Do I sometimes use noise and distraction deliberately so I don't have to hear the convicting voice of God?
* Am I guilty of talking too much and listening too little?

LINKS:
William Penn's Advice To His Children:
http://www.qhpress.org/quakerpages/qwhp/advice1.htm

bottom line: Silence can be godly . . . and golden.

soul journey