Silence: Its Power and NecessitySample

Silence: Its Power and Necessity

Zechariah 2:13 - Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Exodus 14:13 – But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

We need silence to the point that our own self-will is obliterated. There in the silence we will be able to get to the point where we are content to be with God and to do His will. We need the kind of silence that halts all of our activities and brings our “doing” to a stop. As we find ourselves in that place, our plans, ambitions, dreams, and expectations cease to revolve around us as God becomes the focus and Jesus Christ becomes the centre.

Silence destroys pride because it doesn’t respond to all our words, achievements, deeds, scholarships, titles, and appointments. Silence cannot be “muted” by an inflated sense of self. In fact, it strips us of ourselves and reveals our pretence and false expectations. Silence makes all our "big" works seem very small.

What happens to a child who joyfully runs home to tell his parents about something "great" that happened to him, only for his exciting story to be met with silence? Imagine telling a friend about an incredible award that you won and having that person respond by either just looking at you or by staying silent. In both cases, silence takes something “big” and makes it very small. Silence puts our great deeds into perspective.

Silence also involves staying silent. In silence, we keep our thoughts, pains, dreams, and emotions to ourselves. Silence should not be used as a weapon to ignore, judge, or condemn others.

Moses and Israel won the victory by remaining silent (Exodus 14:14). Victories come not by our strength but by the power of the Lord.