The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.  Exodus 14:14  ESV

Silence is a funny thing.  When we are around someone who talks incessantly, we long for a moment of silence.  When we are around someone we don’t know that well, silence can be really awkward.  When we are alone, it can be a welcomed relief or it can be a time of torment.  If you haven’t accepted God’s mercy and forgiveness, times of silence can be when the devil reminds you of all the bad things you have done and tries to make you feel guilty and unworthy of God’s mercy and grace.

Some people are people of few words and some rattle on incessantly.  We all have different personalities and different ways of doing things.  But the question is how do you handle times of stress and anger?  These are the times when we are put to the test.  Do you get quiet and reflect on God’s word and think about how God would have you handle this situation?  Or do you fly off the handle and do it your way?  Are you strong and silent or quick tempered and loud?  You see, it takes a lot more strength to be silent.

I have tried to transition over the years from being quick tempered and loud to being silent.  I’m not always successful, but I try my best.  I have noticed that my silence effects people a lot more than my being loud. When people expect you to get loud and angry and you just sit back quietly, it tends to scare them. Sometimes it even gives them a chance to reflect on where they may have gone wrong. Often times we forget that the battle is the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:15).  Often times we forget that we are told not to repay evil for evil (Romans 12:17).  Often times we forget that the bible tells us not to avenge ourselves, but that vengeance is the Lord’s (Romans 12:19).  Instead Romans 12:17 tells us to try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.

So, what do you do when the enemy strikes?  Well, first pray.  Ask God to take care of this situation.  If God instructs you to speak, I can assure you that he will provide scripture for you to use in dealing with this situation.  You see, scripture is God’s Holy Word.  This is the only offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit,  mentioned in Ephesians 6 when we are being instructed in how to prepare for spiritual warfare.  The most important thing for us to remember is that it is spiritual warfare when the enemy comes against you.  Ephesians 6:10 reminds us that we are not fighting flesh and blood but the dark forces of evil.  Oh, it may be a human mouth that is spewing contempt, but know that the devil is the driving force behind it. And I have personally found that scripture shuts those mouths and trust me, that silence is truly golden.

So today, think about being silent.  This is when we can truly hear from God.  We seem to have become a land of people that can’t handle silence.  If we are awake, we think that we should have the television on, be on our phone or on social media.  We feel that we need constant contact of some kind.  The only constant contact that we truly need is with our Lord and Savior.

Learn to appreciate the silence, because honestly this is the only real time that we can hear from God.  He is not going to compete against your television shows, your phone, your video games and whatever other devices steal your attention.  Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

So whatever you must do, carve out at least a few minutes of each day to be silent.  Use this time to pray and to reflect on all the good that God has done for you.  Use this time to praise Him and thank Him.  Know that this is the time when you can also cry out to Him if you are experiencing hard times.

Don’t be afraid of being still and silent.  Know that silence is golden.  Know that we don’t have to get the last word in, we just have to get God’s word in.  Know that God’s got this.  He will fight our battles, we just need to be silent.

Have a great day!