A short reflection inspired by Paula.
At a worship time in a large conference, I once felt God say “‘Shhh’, there’s no need to shout I’m right here.” Be still enough to listen. Quiet. Shhh. Then, we can respond to his voice. Then he moves us to shout, sing, declare, praise. But first….Shhh.
“Praise waits for you in silence, O God, in Zion” Psalm 65:1
Waiting, listening, anticipating before letting our hearts overflow. When we ‘Come to rest in him, that is where we find our praise.’ (Paula) It all begins with a Shhh.
We find God in the Shhh
In Matthew 6 Jesus taught his disciples that it is in the quiet, secret, unseen places where we find God. Whether we are fasting, praying, giving to the needy or doing good, He sees us, loves us, rewards us and rebukes us in the Shhh. The quiet, unseen, secret places are spaces of deep intimacy, of heart to heart, soul to soul, spirit to spirit connection. A place of deep vulnerability. We find God as He is and He finds us as we are in the Shhh.
The Shhh of God in our times
“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” Hebrews 4:11
Although this is talking about entering the sabbath rest, it also applies to living a life of rest. Finding the Shhh of God in our times. We have to work hard to find spaces for rest, to look for boredom and know that our rest also keeps us from falling into disobedience. Clear the calendar. Clear your headspace. Just be. Silence. Shhh.
The Shhh of God is the vehicle of our salvation and our ongoing confidence and strength in him.
“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall you be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Isaiah 30:15a
The Shhh of God is paramount to our witness
“Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12
Aspire to live quietly, not loudly. It’s the place where we meet God and it’s the place where others see Him in us. Shhhhh.
Reflection
Take a minute to be silent, quieten everything. Be thankful. Lift your eyes to Jesus, know that He’s very close and listen.
Now pray in response to what he shows you during that time. If nothing, thank him for peace.
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