Thoughts on Silence

"Very few of us know the secret of bathing our souls in slience." A.W. Tozer

"I do not believe it is stretching a point at all to say that we will most often hear from God in those times when we are silent." A.W.T.

"Unquestionably, part of our failure today is religious activity that is not preceded by aloneness, by inactivity. I mean getting alone with God and waiting in silence and quietness until we are charged with God's Spirit. Then, when we act, our activity really amounts to something because we have been prepared by God for it." A.W.T.

"God was on His throne speaking, and Abraham was on his face listening! Where God and man are in relationship, this must be the ideal. God must be the communicator, and man must be in the listening, obeying attitude. If men and women are not willing to assume this listening attitude, there will be no meeting with God in living, personal experience." A.W.T.

"We are seeing a general abhorrence of being alone, of being silent before the Lord. We shrink from allowing our souls to be bathed in the healing silences." A.W.T.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation." Ps. 62:1

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...a time to keep silence and a time to speak." Ecc. 3:1, 7b

"But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him." Hab. 2:20

"Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10a

"Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your bed and be silent." Ps. 4:4

Do not fear silence in friendship.
Do not fear silence in an interview.
Do not fear silence with God.

I am learning to embrace silence. It's certainly not easy, especially when God not only asks me to be silent but is also silent Himself. There is so much I want to know: should I start looking for a job? what lab tests should I have done next? what do I do about certain friendships? where is God leading me? what is the purpose behind this thing and that thing? what is it that I am moving toward?

There was a time when I needed to ask questions, and so I did. Now God has assured me that He has heard and knows these questions and their answers, and I am to wait in silence. I know that when it is needful, He will speak.