Silence is Golden

He who answers before listening– that is his folly and his shame. (Proverbs 18:13)

What’s God doing in your life?

Yes, it’s that time again!  It’s time to look back on your week and see what God did!  How did He come through for you?  Did He show you something new this week?  Did He answer a prayer?  Did He bring you through a storm?  Did He pour out His grace on you in a new way?  I would love to hear about it!

This last week, the above verse continued to speak very loudly in my life.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times a situation came up where I needed to listen very carefully before I spoke.  I have to be honest, it’s not so easy to listen to the degree that the Bible calls us to.  Often, I find myself wanting to interrupt and give my two cents, for what it’s worth and I find that sometimes it’s not worth much.  In fact, my silence is golden!  My silence allows those around me to heal.

In fact, I’m learning a lot from Job’s friends right now.  They gave Job a wonderful gift when they were silent.  It’s when they opened their mouths that things went down hill.  Let’s step back in time and see how Job’s friends responded to the crisis in his life.

As many of you know Job is the man in the Bible who went through many tests.  He lost everything and even his body was inflicted with sores.  The story doesn’t look so good from an outside perspective, but we have the inside track.  We know a few things that Job and his friends do not know.  We know that God considers Job to be an upright man, full of integrity.  Here is just one thing that God said about Job…

“There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” (Job 1:8)

Well, Job’s friends and his wife were convinced that Job had done something wrong to deserve the calamity brought on his life.  They forgot to listen.  They forgot to get the inside track on his life.  There were a couple of things that Job’s friends did right, they came to his side as soon as they heard he was in trouble.  They came with the intention to comfort and sympathize with their friend.  And for the first 7 days and nights they just sat without speaking a word.  So far, so good!  This was a demonstration of true friendship!

In that day and age, it took months to hear that someone was in trouble, but when these three friends heard they were quick to respond.  And in their response they were ready to comfort their friend.  They had no idea how bad it was going to be when they saw Job.  The Bible says that they weeped at the sight of their friend from a distance and they tore their robes, which is a sign of mourning.  They were ready to mourn the grievance of loss with their friend.  The next part amazes me the most.

“Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights.  No one said a word to him, because they saw how his suffering was.” (Job 2:13)

Seven days and seven nights in complete silence to comfort a friend.  I don’t know how many of us can give 7 minutes to a friend.  SILENCE IS GOLDEN! Our silence opens the door for healing and comfort.  We are not able to truly hear someone, if we keep on talking.  Our folly will find us out, if we keep speaking!  Do you think you could give someone the gift of listening?  Do you think you could just listen for a moment?  Maybe the One who you need to listen to is God!  When was the last time you stopped talking in prayer and just sat and listened?  It’s time that we become a listening people!  A generation who seeks to hear, not respond!  GOD IS THE ANSWER!

“My dear brothers, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)

Challenge: Read James 1

Memory Verse: Proverbs 18:13

Dear Father God, I’m very grateful that You have given me only one mouth and two ears.  Now I pray that I use my ears twice as much as my mouth.  Please help me to slow down in how much I talk and to listen intently to those around me.  Please increase my compassion and may my ears be used to listen in love to those who are hurting!  Help me to hear what only You hear!  Most of all, help me to stop talking so much in prayer and just stop to listen!  I want to hear You more and be guided by You dear Lord!

Giving the Gift of Silence,