As I begin these words, I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop surrounded by comfy chairs, canned music flowing from the speakers and an employee hurriedly preparing to display Christmas items. Yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year at least according to retailers. The irony of my view is that I am coming to you today to share what it means to sit in silence. I am not taking this lightly and this atmosphere helps my writing juices flow, but God is calling me to learn how to soak in silence. I have not mastered silence, but want to share some lessons with you.
I find life goes silent because we forget to listen. We let our to do lists dictate our days and pretty soon we find ourselves at the end of the day no further along than we were at the beginning. The voice that speaks truth into our hearts goes silent because we have left no space to hear it. We hear the echo of silence, but have not learned how to use it for the good of others and ourselves.
And there are days where busy is relative and life is filled with stuff. There is no pattern to how I am filling my days, but one constant is present – I am choosing other things over taking time with God. For it is in the silence, we hear God. His clear voice penetrates the noise that clutters our days and fills us with the quiet that eases our minds.
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When I take time to invite God into my day, I make room for His presence and blessings. My soul calms and peace fills the broken spots that are usually filled with noise. The world becomes secondary as God takes first place. There is no magic formula to accomplishing this, but a choice on our part to let God know He is important.
Sitting in the silence requires an invitation. Seeking God first and our agenda second.
Silence seeks a time of centering. It is leaving our noisy minds behind and choosing God.
In the time of centering, we make a choice. Will we listen and hear from God, or not?
Finally, rest is needed as we enter into the time of silence. It is a resting of our minds, hearts and souls. It is letting all clutter and outside distractions take a back seat to the silence that God brings when we let it all go to Him.
God calls us to Him in the silence. We feel the whispers enter our heart and know that being with God is the only place we need to be.
Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him. Lamentations 3:28
In the quiet, we restore our souls and renew our minds. We find the Shepherd, who loves spending time with us. Our minds still, our hearts become steady and we find the balance that is needed by our souls.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
Let’s make the choice of sitting in the silence today. God will restore, renew and refresh in the quiet.
Blessings,
Mary
Blessed to be linking with:
A wonderful reminder on the power of silence! I hear you speaking from a calm and quiet heart. I’m so glad to have come across your blog!
What a treat to have you stop by today! I love seeing new faces and your kind words are appreciated. I pray my heart continues to remain calm as I learn of all God has in store for me. Blessings upon your day and week!
I am in it witb you.
Thanks Joni! Have a blessed week!
Wonderful post. So true! If we are always so busy doing–when do we have time to hear God speaking to our hearts? Thirty-two weeks ago, God called me to do a Sabbath. I resisted because I am a work from home mom and Sundays are a great day to get some work done while the hubby is home. I was so mad that God was making me do this, but obediently, I started doing a Sabbath–no computer, no phone, no working, no writing, no planning, no nothing–just playing and being with my family and being quiet, napping, reading the bible and listening, praying and spending time with God. It’s been an amazing 32 weeks and I will never work on Sundays again! Blessings to you on your journey. May God continue to speak to you and may you always find time and quiet to listen! 🙂
I love how God helped you to realize the importance of Sabbath. God does get what He wants but it is always for our good. Thank you for sharing your experience and for blessing me with your encouragement today. I pray we both learn how God can speak into us by making the space for Him to enter. Blessings!
Amen to these encouraging words.
Have a blessed week ahead.
Thank you, Lux. I pray you have a blessed week too.
Your post reminds me of Barbie’s over at the Weekend Brew on “resting in God.” I think that I, too, am yearning for that rest that seems so elusive at this time of year, Mary. I think maybe we are all feeling the stress of the holidays marching toward us like a crazy crowd on Black Friday! When we seek these quiet times to be with God, however, we won’t get trampled by the demands of our lives. Thanks for reminding us of what is most important and saying it in a way that is compelling and true.
I do see the similarities between Barbie’s and my posts. I have also found many others writing on the topic of rest, stillness, and quiet. We live in a world that just pulls us away from what is really important and taking time to rest is the answer. Seeking God first and the world second will prepare our hearts and minds to do the work that God really needs us to do. So blessed to have you here. Hope you had a good weekend.
Mary, this is beautiful. I appreciate your encouragement to sit in the silence. This world is loud, and silence is not easy to find these days. I loved sharing in your coffee shop experience. Thank you! Bless you, friend. I appreciate you!
I am always blessed when I see you show up in the comments. Your encouragement is a blessing and I pray that we all find a time of silence in our day to invite God into take up residence. Praying you have a wonderful weekend.
Mary, this is a lovely post. Thank you for the invitation to embrace silence and to hear God’s voice. This morning in my quiet time, I read “If only my people would listen to my voice and follow my ways.” Psalm 81??? This phrase stuck with me: listen and follow. I need to quiet my heart before him more.
Thank you for your kind words and for joining me, Betsy. I love how God spoke to you through Psalm 81 and how much it connects with my post. It doesn’t help to find the quiet if we do not invite God into that space and listen well to what He has to tell us. Praying you have a wonderful weekend.
“And there are days where busy is relative and life is filled with stuff. There is no pattern to how I am filling my days, but one constant is present – I am choosing other things over taking time with God.”
THIS I relate to. Mornings are the best time for me to meet up with the Lord in a quiet place but the battle that rages (almost) every morning for that little space in time. AND, I don’t even have kids or a job to blame it on. I just changed up my “secret place” and moved my “stuff” upstairs to our small den – it is quiet and although I don’t have a door to close, it’s private. It has helped – getting a cuppa and climbing the stairs helps set the tone. I have gotten into the Bob Sorge book (Secret Places) from Allume – it is very good and an encouragement to GO TO THE SECRET PLACE.
Silence isn’t hard for me – I prefer it. I would never be able to go to a Starbucks or a Panera and begin to write. Have mercy, I’d be spinning tales of the lives I was watching! I can’t even write with music on!!! I would probably do well at a Silent Retreat. HA! Great post with so much food for thought. xo
Sounds like I need to begin the Bob Sorge book. It is hard to not only find the quiet but to truly still our minds to embrace God in the silence. I admit I am not always very good at it but do find that I am getting better. I also need to start my day with God because it can make or break how the rest of my day goes. Thank you for being here friend! Love seeing your beautiful face.
I like this! An invitation to sit in silence and dwell in His presence.
I have missed stopping over. I am glad I am on a short break with studies…
Thank you for sharing this devotional.
Be encouraged.
Always glad when I see you. I appreciate your kind words and beautiful heart. Praying your weekend is blessed.
Hi Mary – just the words my soul needed today! Thank you.
Love,
Karen
I am so glad! God does love to give us what we need. Loved spending time with you at the concert. Hugs!
I envy you the ability to write and hear the silence in the chaos of a coffee shop! I am much too visually and audibly stimulated! Much of my day is spent in silence, I rarely have music playing and never the TV while I’m working, etc. I love silence and crave it. But I know what you mean about the silence being empty. I don’t want my silence to be empty, I always want to hear God speaking in the silence, or at least hear Him breathing 🙂 I need to be better about quieting my mind, and listening. Great, thought-provoking post, Mary!
Hi June! Just to clarify, the coffee shop where I sometimes go to write is not usually quiet so busy and noisy. It was a bit much that day but I do love the atmosphere. I tend to write most often in complete silence. I pray we are able to quiet our minds and listen well for God to speak into our hearts. Blessed to have you here today.
Great reminder Mary. Thank you. I definitely have not mastered this either. But baby steps are progress. So glad to be neighbors this week at the #RaRaLinkup.
baby steps are the only way to go! Let’s walk together toward inviting God into our quiet as a way to peace and restoration. Blessings!
So beautifully put, Mary! Your words are like melting butter to our dry bread lives! 😉 But truly I’m inspired by what you’re saying here and so grateful for the fact that you are God’s instrument of understanding for us all. We need your words to keep us looking to Him! Thanks for being his vessel, my friend! Also, I can’t remember if I said this or not, but thank you for helping me out on my recent vacation. Your post was sublime!
Thank you, Beth! I appreciate this kind feedback on my post. I truly would have not content without following the prompting of God.
You did thank me for writing over at your place and I was so honored to be asked. You open your doors and heart to me and I am so grateful for that.
I’m having lots of time of silence these days but instead of struggling with that change, I’m rather enjoying it. Whether it’s quiet time with Him or maybe finding a unique way to worship Him through it. Blessings to you dear friend. xoxo
What a joy to see you here, my friend! I love how you cherish your quiet time. I do too and notice I feel very differently when I have not allowed it to happen in my day. Hope you are doing well! Praying for your family as you adjust again to having your husband gone. Love you!
Hi Mary! I like the way you talk about silence having two sides. The silence of ‘nothing’ and the pregnant silence, filled with the Holy Spirit.
I also really enjoy silence. I have a little sign on my bookshelf that says, “Silence is Essential for Thought”. I really agree! And silence is important in order to make room in a busy mind for God to come and speak.
Christmas decor already? Sigh…
Blessings,
Ceil
Thank you for being here Ceil and joining in the conversation. I love what your sign says and I agree with its message. A quiet mind provides a space for God to enter and when I do not choose this, I have left Him out. I pray we all find this silence in our everyday!
Mary,
You would think that in this season of life, it would be easier to find silence. It is there beckoning to me, but yet I choose the whirlwind of chaos and activity at times. Am I afraid to just sit with God? Afraid of what gentle disciplining He might offer? I’m not sure. Your post has challenged me to go where it is sometimes not easy to go…to the peace of His presence. Thanks for this beautiful reminder…
Blessings,
Bev xx
You are welcome and thank you for being here with me. I understand how you feel about silence. We can be afraid of what God might tell us during this time that causes us to choose chaos instead. I pray that as you seek God more, you find that silence is the place where He shows up every time.
Oh, yes, Mary – let us sit in the silence. Let us draw near to him so he will draw near to us. Maybe it’s because of all the noise these 5 boys have and are making in the growing up – but I love quiet – the peace of silence – where I can just hear him!
I grew up with 5 brothers so I understand the noise piece and have two sons. I am sure you crave silence to enter any part of your day. Thank you for visiting. I am praying that you find a quiet in your day, even if for only five minutes, to restore your soul.
Oh how I need some quiet time, my friend. This is something I’m really struggling with: “Seeking God first and our agenda second.” I feel married to my calendar lately and it’s driving me crazy. Your words are much needed today, Mary. Thank you for always reminding me what is most important. It’s definitely time for me to get silent with Him for a while.
It is so hard to make that space for God but once you do, you find out that you crave it as well as need it daily. I love when you stop by because your words mean so much to me. Praying you are well and happy anniversary to you and your husband.
Ah yes… the sa?credness of silence! It’s such a gift! (It doesn’t always feel like it – but it is!) (Have you read The Apprentice series by James Bryan Smith? I highly recommend them!)
Hi Karrilee! Thank you for stopping by today. Is the Apprentice series the one that begins with the Good and Beautiful God? I began that book but have not finished it. I remember seeing that you were reading that with your small group. Thank you for the good resource. Hugs!
There’s silence and there’s being with God in silence! You’re reminding me I keep avoiding a silent say retreat I’ve been meaning to take on an extended staycation of created (when I can take the time), a staycation to be more purposeful in a career transition. I’ve done hikes, spa days, hot tubs, more prayerful morning time, but the silent retreat is still in the background. Your post is reminding me not to forget how important silence with God is to hear His voice, to silence the world!
I feel a silent retreat would be so beneficial. The chance to invite God in to the quiet without any distractions sounds lovely. I pray you are able to make this happen soon. May we all find the quiet in our lives and when we do may we make space for God to enter and reside.
The beauty of silence is what captivates me. When I can find a silent place and just meditate on God’s goodness I feel so refreshed and renewed. I connect on a deeper level of love and fulfillment. Thank you for sharing this important reminder to just be still and silent with God.
There is a beauty to silence and as most beauty does, it fills a space inside us that does renew us. Thank you for being here and sharing my words on social media. God blesses us with people who come and read our words and we pray the words touch them deeply. Praying that you times of silence continue to leave you feeling refreshed and renewed.
Yes lets sit in the silence. The place for me where I experience this most is on the prairies of North Dakota. It is on those holy prairies that I truly experience the silence and presence of God.
I would love to see and spend time on the prairies. I cannot even imagine how beautiful it must be. I find that being outside in nature with God is my holy place with God. I hope you are doing well. It seems weird not to see you everyday! 🙂
“Choosing other things over God…” It sends chills down my spine, yet I could easily be stamped guilty on numerous occasions. Good words on encouragement, Mary. Yes, good words. Visiting today via #testimonyTuesday.
I hate to even admit out loud that I am so guilty of filling my time with stuff that has no meaning until I fill it with God. I am working on overcoming the world’s promotion of busy and instead learning to embrace God’s call to rest and quiet. Thank you for being here and blessing me with your words!
Oh how this post resonates with me, Mary! You are drawing me into an area where I already sense God calling softly with a whispered urgency. And yes, the benefits of the stillness, rest and silence are so worth it. I can relate strongly to all you say, especially to these words: “In the quiet, we restore our souls and renew our minds.” Amen, my friend! May you seek and be found in the silence. Blessings of rest and peace to you. 🙂 Xx
I can sense this space that God has created for you and draws you closer to Him. You write about it and your heart leans toward quiet and rest. I feel so much better when I invite God into the space I have created for Him. It’s such a holy time if I truly empty my mind of the clutter. Thank you for affirming these words with your own words. Blessed to call you friend!
The older I get, the more I crave solitude and silence. It’s not a scary place anymore, but a refreshing refuge where I can be refueled and refilled.
Especially during this season of transition, griefs, and a whole lot of unknowns about the future.
This is where I find that He restores my soul. I’m so grateful!
Loved this piece, Mary …
Linda, I love what you say about relishing solitude and silence the older you grow. And it is truly ” a refreshing refuge where I can be refueled and refilled.” May you gain the peace and rest you crave.
I am glad you said you crave silence. I do too. I am not always good at it but I know that God will meet me there and that makes it more desirable. God is in the restoration business and He is working mightily on you and I, isn’t he?
Thank you for being a treasure! Love and blessings!
It’s harder sometimes to get my mind to be silent than it is to take time each day to come before the Lord and read His word. Thank you, Mary for this good post.
Blessings,
Janis
I am blessed that you joined me here today, Janis. Being with God isn’t always the quiet that we need or He desires. Reading God’s word can still come with distractions if we let it. Praying we all feel God’s presence in the quiet of our days.
I love this message, Mary. I have tried to be more diligent this year to practice 20 minutes of centering prayer on most days. I’ve done so-so with it, but I do value those minutes when I have just sat in silence with God. I also try to extend the discipline to when I awake in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. I find it’s harder to maintain silence then than in the day, oddly enough.
I love your thought about sitting in silence with God in the middle of the night when you wake up. I tend to have too many nights that I am waking so this would be a lovely way to retreat back into sleep. I agree that the middle of the night can be quite noisy if your brain is like mine- always thinking of things or worrying about things. Thank you for being here and sharing how you practice centering yourself on prayer each day. It makes all the difference in our attitudes and how our day plays out, doesn’t it? Blessings!
Wow, Lisa. I’m impressed by your diligence in seeking God. (I know you’re not sharing that to impress us.) Silence like that is hard for me. I’m always talking to God, and I know he wants to me listen more.
“But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Ha. 2:20)
I love this verse, and so often I’ve thought of it in the midst of the bedlam and chaos of four sons, homeschooled, and lovin’ life!
Your post made me smile, because my times of “silence” have been few and far between over the past twenty years, and yet God meets with me wherever I am, and He brings the calm and the peace with Him.
God does meet us where we are and in that meeting brings us all we need. For me, it is actually pausing to receive what God so lovingly has for me. He brings the peace in the chaos and the joy in the sadness. I can imagine your life was crazy for many years. Even in silence, I do not have absolute silence because I forget to invite God into the quiet to sit beside me. Your words were calming and assuring for me. I love when you stop by to visit. Blessings!
I thrive on a certain amount of silence. Yet sometimes even when there are no sounds in the house, my brain is noisy. But what lovely peace flows when we truly focus on God and His Word without distraction.
I crave the peace that can only come from God. You are right in saying that our brains can be noisy even when we are surrounded by silence. For me it is the distractions that I allow to distract me. I am blessed you stopped by and appreciate your kind words.
So right, Mary. He still speaks to us if we just stop to hear him.
The trick is stopping to hear our God. I find silence can be very noisy at times. God truly teaches us about silence when we pause, lean in and listen well. Love seeing you here today. Praying you and Jack are doing well.