Today’s Reading: Psalm 60, 70 & 83
I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. – Psalm 28:1
Sometimes God asks us to be silent before Him, prompting us to spend more time listening and less time talking. God asks us to silence the noise so that we can hear His still small voice. I am reminded of Abraham’s servant who was given the task of finding a wife for Isaac. He responded in obedience to the task he was given; then he prayed for success in accomplishing that task and waited in silence.
The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. – Genesis 24:21
THE ART OF BEING STILL IS A BEAUTIFUL MOTION OF OBEDIENCE AND TRUST.
We do what we know to do and then watch for evidence of God at work in our lives. But what happens when we seek clarity and get none; what happens when we look for evidence of God’s presence and come up empty-handed? What if we are left wondering whether or not the Lord is already moving on our behalf?
But may all who search for you
be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
O Lord, do not delay. – Psalm 70:4-5
At times we can go through a season when it feels like God is silent. We long to hear from Him, we call upon His name, but hear no response. We daily spend time in his words, lifting our prayers and petitions to our Lord, but there is no evidence that God is responding to the cries of our heart. Our impatience gets the best of us and we cry out for God to hurry, to speak, to respond in some way:
O God, do not be silent!
Do not be deaf.
Do not be quiet, O God. – Psalm 83:1
The psalmist went on to describe to God what the enemy was doing to the nation of Israel. It seems as if he was questioning God’s attention to the situation as he detailed what was happening all around him. Then he took the rest of the song to suggest, or rather demand, that God should do something to make right all that was going wrong.
THE ART OF PRAYER IS A DUET BETWEEN DESPERATE PETITION AND HUMBLE SUBMISSION.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. – Psalm 83:16
In this last verse, there is a submission to the authority of God. The psalmist referred to the name of the Lord, showing the desire to be obedient to the Master — the One who should always be in charge. He recognized that God alone is the Most High. And although his prayer was to “let them know”, it seems from the first verse that he was also asking for God to let him know. He needed the reassurance that God was taking care of His people.
Lord, let me know that you are aware. Show me that you are in control of the situation. I desire to feel your presence and rest in your faithfulness. Help me to let go so that I will stop trying to control my circumstances. I long to rest in your care, but my heart needs to be reassured of your love. Amen.
It is easy to feel alone at times. In fact, the enemy would love for us to believe that we are alone — that God has abandoned us. We begin to question His love and wonder if He even cares about what we are going through. During these times, we have to remind ourselves of what we know to be true — that we are never alone and that His love is unfailing.
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5b
GOD, MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN TO US TODAY AS WE SIT IN THE SILENCE.
My God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent…
Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your unfailing love.
Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done it. – Psalm 109:1,26-27a