Divine Silence

Be still and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.--Psalm 46:10

Many Christian writers in the past have considered silence and solitude two of life's greatest pleasures.
     The Bible talks about silence: " Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10); and  "I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him" (Psalm 62:1).
      Silence is a protest against the media bombardment that asks us to live outside ourselves.  The mystery of divine silence is the need we have for intimate contact with God.
     Jesus is the perfect balance between inner silence and activity.  He leapt down from the silence of God and returned later into the richness and perfection of community that God is.
     Jesus spoke from the depth of silence.  He acted with words; he never simply reacted.
     Jesus spent time alone in silence, praying to the Father.  We don't know, however, what went on in silence between God and Jesus during prayer.  For example, we don't know what God must have said to Jesus regarding the choosing of the disciples.
     A quiet day is Sabbath time.  Quietness helps us push back the things that block us from God.  We discover that we have defined ourselves by the workplace, but we are much more than that.  We are more than we think we are.  Here in this place, before God, we can discover who we really are.
     God helps us push back our resistance so that we can be what he wants us to be and so that he can show us the people with whom we need to be involved.  God is present, speaking to us in silence.  The Holy Spirit is as close as our own breath. 
     God alone judges our silence.  We cannot judge whether anything is happening.  We trust God.  We sink beneath our imagination and intellect to find our reality.
--Sara Park McLaughlin
From Meeting God in Silence

Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good!  His faithful love endures forever.--Psalm 118:1

My prayer for you today:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength:
     God's power to guide me,
     God's might to uphold me,
     God's wisdom to teach me,
     God's eyes to watch over me,
     God's ear to hear me,
     God's Word to give me speech,
     God's hand to guard me,
     God's way to lie before me,
     God's shield to shelter me,
     God's host to secure me:
           Against the snares of devils,
           Against the seduction of vices,
           Against the lusts of nature,
           Against everyone who shall wish me ill,
           Whether far or near, many or few.
Patrick of Ireland

A person must recognize his need for God before he can request divine aid and give God due thanks. ---Anonymous