“The Lord, the Mighty One, is God, and he has spoken; he has summoned all humanity from where the sun rises to where it sets. From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. Our God approaches, and he is not silent.” Psalm 50: 1-3a
When I took this photo all I could think of was what a beautiful painter God is. The sky is His canvas and it paints anew each day. As I stood looking at this and watching the scene change as the sun rose higher and higher, I felt the Holy Spirit starting to stir in me. What was he saying? Was there a message in the beauty before me that I was missing? I listened in the silence, praying for God to speak to me a little louder so that I could hear His voice. But still, the silence.
I heard the birds start their morning songs and the leaves rustled in the slight breeze that drifted through my hair. My Scruffy dog stood by my side, his soft fur gently brushing against my leg. I looked up and the sun had risen a little higher in the sky; the clouds seemed to part to let it through. I heard no voice, no words from God. So I sat on the porch swing and wondered. Was I just imagining the stirring in my spirit? Silence.
The soft creak of the swing, the rustle of the leaves, the chirping of the birds and silence.
“Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.” Psalm 66:16-20
On November 06, 1976 I prayed for God to help me. I was a sinner and I needed to confess and be forgiven. He heard me. He forgave me. He listened. He spoke. He spoke words of love and acceptance through the people he put in my way. He led me gently down the path of righteousness through the teaching and prodding of the Holy Spirit. He spoke then, and he never stopped speaking.
And in the silence of the sun rising, God spoke. I knew that He was speaking those same words of reassurance today, as He did all those years ago. When is God silent? Never. In one way or another, He is speaking.
Heart Notes of Life 