Sit Still and Be Quiet!

Two things children are known for being unable to do: wait patiently and be silent.  Those two things are nearly impossible for children to do at the same time!  Kind of like the rub your tummy and pat your head challenge.  If you observe yourself or your world for more than a few moments you will have to admit that we are also if not unable to, but unwilling to, wait patiently and be silent.

Waiting is the sheer anticipation of an event.  It can be a good event: a trip.  It can be a bad event: a doctor appointment.  Either way, we are challenged to just be.  To just sit.  To maybe occupy our time with deep thoughts, but there is a phone and the world at my fingertips-crisis averted! I can entertain myself while I wait, right!?  Well that would be right if you weren’t trying to pat your proverbial tummy and head at the same time in this situation, i.e., be silent while you wait.  Crisis not averted.

Silence is not just the absence of sound, but the absence of distractions, self repairs, influx of information, entertainment, the list goes on.  We have come to a place in our world where silence is like the dark room in a horror film.  We are yelling: “don’t go in there” at the main character.  In this case it is us.  We will unknowingly avoid all aspects of silence.  Being alone in our thoughts.  Being alone with our lives, our decisions. It is a terrifying possibility.

Waiting and silence are exactly what the Psalmist David prescribes for himself in Psalm 62. In verse 1 “My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.”  In verse 5 David is almost reminding himself as he writes: “My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.” The first was almost an admission and a calming assurance, the second reference is almost a self-reminding command.

AS crazy as it sounds, talk to yourself!  Tell your soul, to “STOP, put down all the distractions and WAIT in SILENCE”.  The God of the universe speaks to our souls in a still, small voice.  He is the One who wants us to wait in silence for communion with Him because in waiting in the silence we have moments to realign our thoughts away from the temporary towards the eternal. Away from the overwhelming to the One who can and has overcome the world.  Away from the discouragement of others and our own voices to the One who says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Away from the selfish procurement of things towards the unselfish desires of the heart of our God.  Our Abba Father.  Child of the King, sit and wait at the throne room this morning.  Wait in silence.  It is there that you will discover He has been waiting to have conversation with you, but you just had to BE STILL and KNOW that He is God.

I can assure you that the waiting and the silence will give way to worship and purpose.  It is a worthy pursuit.

-Melissa Pyle

Psalm 62