Not to Talk is a Choice
Do I trust God enough to be silent and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak words of wisdom or correction to the people I love? To pray instead of confronting them?
It’s a good question.
Too often, the answer is “No, I don’t.” Because I don’t trust Him.
That’s why I have all this inward pressure to speak. I should be waiting for God, but instead I believe the devil’s lies that it’s all up to me. So my emotions stay churned up and wrong words spill out of my mouth.
You see, for a talker like me, being silent is a very tough test.
Unfortunately, I will never come close to being a woman of mystery. My friends might not agree with my opinions, but they usually know what I think, on any subject.
Some Biblical Examples
Did any Biblical characters receive a ‘holy gag order’ from the Holy Spirit like I sometimes do? Yes, a few.
Jesus stood silent before His accusers. But before that, He spent 40 days alone. After His baptism, the Lord prepared Himself for His earthly ministry by walking into the wilderness and getting away from people. All He did was fast, spend time alone with God and resist the Devil.
Likewise, Elijah prophesied a drought to King Ahab, then hid himself in a ravine and sat by a brook until it dried up. A raven-catering service kept him fed, but the prophet lived in solitude for many months, perhaps a year or more. Bible Teacher Priscilla Shirer believes this time spent alone prepared Elijah for his later ministry.
For both of them the exhortation found in Psalm 46 was followed.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)
My Spiritual Point
There is great power in silence when we do it in response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
Like all the Lord’s commands, we are never compelled to obey. The option to choose sin instead is always present.
But the few times I’ve become obediently silent and gotten out of God’s way?
I’ve been surprised and delighted about what God accomplishes without my “help.”
These images came from Pixabay.com.
