The Power of Silence

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).

Is there any note of music in all the chorus as mighty as the emphatic pause? Is there any word in all the Psalter more eloquent than that one word, Selah (Pause)? Is there anything more thrilling and awful than the hush that comes before the bursting of the tempest and the strange quiet that seems to fall upon all nature before some preternatural phenomenon or convulsion? Is there anything that can touch our hearts as the power of stillness?

There is for the heart that will cease from itself, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding," a "quietness and confidence" which is the source of all strength, a sweet peace "which nothing can offend," a deep rest which the world can neither give nor take away. There is in the deepest center of the soul a chamber of peace where God dwells, and where, if we will only enter in and hush every other sound, we can hear His still, small voice.

Silence Was Golden

"'Where do you come from?' he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer." John 19:9

The cold chamber is dimly lit. It's two o'clock in the morning. Jesus is shoved, stumbling, up the rich, red carpet to stand in front of Pontius Pilate, who has been rudely awakened to hear the case of this King of the Jews. But Pilate hadn't been sleeping anyway. The night before he had drunk too much, partied too long, and smoked too many cigarettes. (When I think of

Pilate, I can't help but picture him with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, even though I know cigarettes didn't exist back then.)

I imagine Pilate rubbing his chin and asking a few questions, the first of which Jesus replies to,"Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Since You Work on Sunday, When Is Your Sabbath?

Hemera/Thinkstock

Is your ministry anemic and terribly routine? Are you exhausted most of the time? Are there few items on tomorrow’s to-do list that excite or renew you? Then try these four regimens of rest.

By Cal LeMon

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11).

So when is your Sabbath (not to be confused with “Sunday”), and how are you doing at keeping it holy?

You may be slightly indignant in response to that question. Of course you are holy because it is your job to be holy, especially on Sunday.

WHERE Is Your Faith?

Written by Marilyn Ehle

Has your world shattered and left you with no hope for your marriage? Come talk to a mentor. 

“As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples.”  (Luke 8:23-25)

My Best Friend

Friends play an important role in my life. It's hard for me to think of a period when I didn't have several close ones. 

My best friend is David. The close relationship we have didn't happen merely because of the passage of time, although that certainly played a role. In analyzing our friendship, the most significant factor has been that we nurtured the relationship. We spent time together. We talked. We shared things about ourselves that we had told no one else. I share this about David because it's the best way I know to talk about my Best Friend in the universe. His name is Jesus. 

This morning, I went for a walk with Him through a wooded area near my home. I had a quiet, peaceful time. Of course, I did most of the talking, because Jesus is a better listener than I am. But I paused occasionally. A few times I stopped, and we pushed aside our conversation to take in the wild ducks that live all year long at the little lake. Jesus and I sat in silence on a bench as I stared at the murky water and gazed upward at the cloudless sky. In the far distance, I heard a child call another. Although I couldn't see them, cars occasionally whizzed down the nearby street.