moments of silence

By Boyd Bailey (Wisdom Hunter Devotional)

“When he [The Lamb—Jesus] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven  half an hour." (Revelation 8:1) 
Sometimes silence is the best strategy. We replace exhausting striving with energizing silence. Our flesh wants to engage in an emotional debate, but our spirit says wait. The outcome is much better when we pause for the Holy Spirit to calm down our conflicted heart before we confront the issue. Our daily battles are best fought with faith in Jesus at the forefront. A person may agitate us, but by God’s grace, we can refrain from a rude reaction and pray for them. We won’t allow another’s bad day to ruin our day. God can speak clearly when we are quiet and patient.
Heaven grew silent for thirty minutes (two minutes of quiet can feel endless!) in awe of God Almighty and in a solemn moment of respect for the imminent destruction of earth and its inhabitants. Evil is eventually and fully judged, secret sins or blatant bad behavior will encounter crushing consequences, but the most dismal condition of all will be morally good people who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. Heaven’s silence precedes earth’s loud obliteration.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it” (Isaiah 30:15).
Our flesh screams for its way, but faith in the Lord’s faithfulness is foundational to our remaining silent. Our words may delay the work of God’s word. For example, if someone we know is seeking wisdom from their heavenly Father, better to pray with them than to assume we know what they need to do. Instead of prescribing a solution for them based on our own experience, we can refer them to Scripture references relevant to their situation. God speaks through His Word.
Our silence invites the Lord’s inner strength for our soul. Trusting resolve grows patience. In place of saying something we may later regret, we wait on the Spirit to speak into the situation. He may impress humility upon our heart and forgiveness on the heart of the one we let down. God can use another caring believer to bring clarity to the confusion or a solution to the problem. Surrender to Christ and invite Him to fight for you. Your silence releases His resources.
“The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:14, NASB).
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Revelation 8:1
Isaiah 30:15
Exodus 14:14
1 Samuel 17:37
Psalm 24:8
Psalm 35:1
Matthew 26:63
Acts 15:12

Questions to Reflect on:
1. What situations in my life require my silence than my speech?
2.How have you seen the consequence of speaking when it was better to keep silent?
3. Does silence make you feel you are not in control? If so, why?
4. How can you be better at trusting God through trusting His work rather than your words?