Silence Part 11:Wendy Bray asks whether silence helps us encounter God
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!' And Moses said, 'Here I am.' Exodus 3
Does taking time to be silent or solitary help us to experience the presence of God? Does God make the most of the opportunity we offer him, to reach us intimately in quiet times? Doubtless he does, although, as we consider tomorrow, he may make us wait.
Certainly the Bible gives us numerous accounts of occasions when God spoke to individuals in places that were solitary and quiet. The solitary place is also often a place of commissioning, whether we like it or not! Moses was not looking for an encounter with God—he was just getting on with an ordinary day—but God chose this quiet, solitary place to commission him for one of the greatest assignments ever given. notice what led to this commissioning, however. First, Moses was curious (v. 3). Second, God spoke and engaged his interest only when Moses had responded (v. 4). What follows is an almost comical conversation during which Moses tries to convince God that he can't possibly be the man for the job.
We do not need to find a solitary or quiet place to have an encounter with God or for him to ask us, like Moses, to 'go...' (v. 10). Often it is in the midst of an ordinary day, in the quiet and solitary place that is our heart, that he reaches us. In either case, though, when we are open-hearted, curious about possibilities and ready to respond, God will reach us in unexpected ways, through the ordinary or the extraordinary.
We often forget that God is always with us; he is not at a distance. It is as if he turns to us, attracting our attention and fixing his eyes upon us in love as we walk together. Silence and solitude may help us to return that gaze.
Taken from Day by Day with God, published by Bible Reading Fellowship.
March 19th, 2012 - Posted & Written by Ian Matthews
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