The Sound of Silence

Have you ever had the feeling that God was silent? Do you sometimes feel abandoned by God when you struggle to hear Him?

In the Bible we find many examples where God worked during or through periods of silence. In this Devotional we will explore silent moments in the Bible, hoping to understand God’s ways a little better when we next experience silence in our lives.

DAY 1: GOD IN THE SILENCE

In 1 Kings 19 we find Elijah in a moment where he is completely alone and abandoned by all his peers. He is the only prophet left, running for his life, and God is silent. Just a moment before, God asked him what he was doing there in a cave in Mount Sinai and he answered. He brought his desperate situation before the Lord, but then… silence…

Elijah looked for God’s voice in all the usual ways that he has experienced thus far. God has shouted through a spectacular fire display at Mount Carmel and a terrific rainstorm at Jezreel. He revived a dead child and provided food for the rest of a whole family’s lives through Elijah. And now that Elijah was all alone and in need of God, nothing. Until God showed him where to look.

God was in the silence. “And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12, NLT). Elijah could not hear God until he was willing to find Him in the silence. He had to embrace the silence to find God’s gentle whisper. Perhaps God has been whispering to your life as well!

What would happen if you decided to spend time in the silence? You might need to quiet your own, loud inner voice to be able to hear God’s whisper. And the most difficult part, you might need to trust that God really is there in the silent danger zone where you find yourself. God is waiting for a quiet moment to whisper to you!

Scripture readings:

1 Kings 19:9-21

1 Kings 18:22-46

1 Kings 17:8-24