Silence is quite the oddity in our lives. When we truly seek it, it seems to escape us. But when it finds us, we seem to combat it with the noise of the world. Too much silence is bad, yet too much noise is even worse. We spend our lives seeking the proper amount of noise in which to operate amongst the silence.
One of the last air BNB’s we stayed at in Cozumel had a big construction project going on in the adjoining building. Of course, this was not listed in the online advertisement. Soon after we arrived, we found that the hammering and drilling reverberated throughout the cinder block walls into our room. The noise was incessant. We quickly found ourselves desperately seeking silence in the midst of the relentless noise. But building is progress and it could not be stopped or controlled. We were forced to leave, in search of lodging that offered the quiet we craved. I have found the search for silence in this life goes far beyond just a hotel in Mexico…the search for silence is a search for the very presence of God.
Our world today operates on noise, static, racket, clamor, commotion, and pandemonium. And I am not merely speaking of the audible. Our world offers us a plethora of distractions. Yes, many are audible, our world is flooded with sound. Music, TV, traffic, people, and well, just the steady hum of life. But there’s also another noise, the noise of the mind. The human mind seems so very uncomfortable with silence. If you don’t think so, just try this exercise. Go to a room in your home today where you can be alone and shut the door. I would then like for you to close your eyes and sit in absolute silence for 10 minutes. No radio, no TV, no external noise whatsoever. And as you do, I want you to note how long you can make it before your mind rejects your experiment. How long is it before your mind says to you, how much longer do we have to do this? I can usually make it about 20 seconds.
There is no doubt that even with our human resistance to absolute silence that we still seek it. When we encounter a quiet, peaceful, moment, it speaks greatly to us. Yesterday Margie and I were able to do some amazing snorkeling here in Cozumel which is one of the best snorkel and dive spots in the world. When you don your snorkel mask and put your head under the clear Caribbean water, the world changes. Silence envelopes as you enter a new world. The fish, coral, octopus, crabs, and plants take your focus to a different place. Your mind settles from where it was just a few minutes ago. It’s as if you stepped through a portal. From a world of noise into an underwater land of quiet, solitude, and still.
God has much to say about quiet, stillness, and peace of the inner man. In fact, today we see quite the amazing passage concerning Solomon’s building of the temple…in silence. You may recall that in 1 Kings 5 that Solomon had been assembling the temple building materials for around 3 years. He, being a man of great wisdom, knew that you should count the cost, measure the need, and then assemble all materials before even breaking ground. And using the temple plans that his father David had drawn; Solomon assembled his materials with the precision you would expect from one of the wisest men that ever lived. Showing his intense preparation, we find this verse:
“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.” 1 Kings 6:7
Amazing. First, the finest stone was quarried. It was then cut to perfect dimensions by the finest stonecutters in the kingdom. It was then transported to the temple building site at great labor. Ancient quarry sites have been discovered in Israel and it is thought that each stone for the temple was around 24 feet long and would have weighed as much as 5-8 tons. No small feat for a few men and some oxen. Once on site each stone was hoisted, fitted and assembled. All in silence. Imagine a construction site operated in absolute silence. No hammering, no chiseling, no jackhammers or power tools. Just the shuffling of feet and the sound of stone being placed. This a truly amazing detail that God gives us.
You see, God lies in the silence. How do I know as much? Because He tells me so. In over 100 different verses that deal with silence, quiet and stillness.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.” Psalm 62:5
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” Psalm 37:7a
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” Psalm 62:1
And of course, this gem:
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
The NASB version has it as this, “Cease striving and know that I am God”. The CSB version states it, “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God.” The CEV translation reads, “Calm down, and learn that I am God!”
Friends, today the world will generate noise into your life, it’s a guarantee. The demands of your work will make much noise in your ear. Raising and dealing with family will generate much static in your head. The stress of dealing with problem after problem will create more than enough chatter to keep you distracted. Real world problems of debt, addiction, and materialism will only add to the level of noise that clutters the mind and heart. Our own sin brings about a level of noise that at times can deafen us to any and all around us. And folks, the world seems to create new types of noise daily that tempts us to revel in the constant chaos. Facebook, Instagram, texts, Netflix, emails, and Zoom calls now all crowd their way into our psyches, crowding them with never ending chaos, noise, and clamor.
But God gives us very clear direction in dealing with all of them. Place them aside, clear your schedule, free your mind, and draw near to God in stillness. For it is when you are still with God that He will reveal Himself. He is not in the fire, the earthquake or the great wind, as you still your soul before Him...He will be in the quite, gentle whisper. And just as with the temple being built in silence, it is here, in the still quiet moments with Him, that He will do His building in your life.
Search for silence today, seek it with you all you are, and God promises it is there you will find Him.
Blessings ~ Dan
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