A few days ago we had a power failure for a number of hours in our neighborhood. This is uncommon, as our area has always been consistently powered despite storms, etc. It might have been a problem if it had lasted longer, but we were without light and heat only for a few hours. We opened up the blinds, covered up in blankets, and got along well enough.
It was also a blessing, in a way. I remember waking up that morning to no fan, no beeps, no humming, nothing but silence. It actually was disconcerting at first, but Debbie and I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet. It was also interesting when the power came back on. We didn’t have the lights on, but the beeps, humming and fans revealed our return to modern civilization.
Silence can be a good thing. If you have ever gone camping, or on a hike in a secluded place, stopping and just listening can be a true joy. Silence is good for meditation and prayer. In Matthew 14:23, it is revealed that Jesus secluded Himself so as to pray without distraction. “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.” It allows us to concentrate and fix our minds on what is important and needed. There is reverence in silence. Funerals and weddings are examples of this. This is especially true when we consider our God. In his proclamation of judgment upon the evil, but eminently powerful nation of Chaldea, the prophet Habakkuk wrote, “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20).
But what about God? There are interesting passages which proclaim the noise of God. There is nothing silent in God’s power and majesty as he manifests Himself to us! The Psalmist wrote, “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him” (Psalm 50:3).
Perhaps you have had the opportunity to go to the seaside during a tempestuous storm, “The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea” (Psalms 93:4). “The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty” (Psalms 29:3-4).
Many applications can be made. Consider this one. When we contemplate God’s creation, of which we are a part, awe should be our response. We err in pride and arrogance. Shouldn’t it be that we allow for God to make the noise (speak), and we to remain silent before Him?
