"Earthquake, Wind & Fire?" by Chad O

"Earthquake, Wind or Fire?"

Silence is not an enemy to be avoided, but a friend to be embraced. It is so foreign to most of us, you may have to repeat the discipline of "silence" for several days in a row before it becomes truly meaningful. Silence is the language of intimacy. Even as the heart speaks through silence, so God also speaks to the heart through silence.

1 Kings 19:11-13
"The Lord said, 'go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by.'
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave...."

In silence God teaches us the deep mysteries of the Spirit, the things that can never be communicated with mere words. Initially our relationship with God, like the rest of our life, is filled with noisy busyness, but as we become more intimate the silence deepens, and in the silence God speaks to us like a friend with a friend. And slowly, ever so slowly, over months and sometimes years, we come to understand the wisdom of silence. In truth, the most profound and holy things God communicates to men are often communicated in silence.