Listen to the SILENCE!

From "Thy Kingdom Come" - March 2012 - a publication of The
Association of the Covenat People, Burnaby, B.C. Canada.


LISTEN TO THE SILENCE

by Bob Vermaat

In the world that we live in today, with all its mechanical
gadgets, it is not easy to enjoy a moment of silence. Whether we
are at home or on the street, at work, or at a sporting event,
silence has by and large become a thing of the past. In a lot of
homes a radio or television set is turned on at awakening and
they are not turned off until bedtime and in some cases not even
then. People have become so attuned to noise that some cannot do
without some sort of sound in the background. It is as if we have
become addicted to noise and silence has become a commodity that
is not found any more in our everyday life.
But silence can be both positive and negative. In this essay I
want to look at the negative aspect of silence first. "Blow the
trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain:" (Joel
2:1). In today's politically correct world the silence from our
pulpits is the greatest culprit in a moral and spiritually kaput
society. The place, from which we should be getting guidance as
to the moral absolutes as put forth in Scripture and the perfect
Biblical guideline to governance, is so silent that it is
frightful. They, the preachers, have become so politically
correct that they have become totally Biblically incorrect. "My
people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them
to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains; they
have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their
resting place." (Jer.50:6). "Son of man, prophesy against the
shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say unto them, thus saith the
Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel
that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the
flocks?" (Eze.34:2).
You know, my friends; it was really not that many years ago that
the pulpits resounded with sound Biblical teachings. When the
preachers and pastors still had back bones and taught their
congregations the truth according to the Bible and not as
dictated now by an apostate society. They taught God's law and
the Bible's moral absolutes without fear or wavering. In those
bygone days the people had no trouble distinguishing right from
wrong and black from white. They were well informed and not
easily led astray. Oh! That we would return to those
days, what a change that would bring.

Preachers, break your silence! Go back to the Bible and teach its
unfailing truths. When you chose this profession God appointed
you a watchman over the flock as per Ezekiel 33:7, "So thou, 0
son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel;
therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them
from me."
0 preachers, the ones that fall under this category, repent and
break your silence lest the wrath of God falls on you as per Eze.
33:8. So, be no longer quiet but shout the message of the Bible
from the roof tops and let the Word and the Way of the Lord God
of Israel again become a driving force in our Israel nations.
Praise be to God. Don't let your silence be heard!

There are times we should listen to the silence. "Be still, and
know that I am God:" (Psa. 46:10) In this case God commands us to
be still or in other words, in silence and this is so that we may
commune with our God and He with us. If any have ever spent an
evening in the mountains or in the desert and have looked up in
awe at the splendour of the heavens, it is then that we
experience the majesty of God there in that quiet moment and you
can hear the silence all around you, not a silence that
oppresses, but a silence that is all encompassing and peaceful.
It embraces us and tells us of the infinite grandness and
magnificence of our God. An inner peace flows from it that is not
obtainable from any other source. It is at that time that our
Lord tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God".

Those that are mourning and in despair will often find peace and
release in the moments of solitude and silence. Silence is the
healer of broken hearts and spirits, for it is under those
conditions that God is able to restore the soul. "Blessed are
they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." "Come unto me all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." (Matt.11:28).

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, whether we are at home
or at work, we often do not get the opportunity to contemplate on
the spiritual things, but it is only when we take time to relax
and become quiet that we draw closer in spirit to our Heavenly
Father, and He in turn will take that particular time to talk to
our soul and spirit and revive us. "The Lord is my shepherd; I
shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he
leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
(Psa. 23:1-3).

In silence we can reflect on our own self and contemplate our
relationship with God. We do not always need many words of prayer
to communicate with our Heavenly Father, but in silence He also
knows our every thought. "Be still, and know that I am God" could
also be stated as "Be still, and let me be God". If we are still
and quiet we will be able to hear what God has to say to us. He
doesn't need our help or our suggestions. So be still and listen.
God is God and there is none beside Him.

So listen to that tiny voice when no one is talking. It is the
Spirit of God.

Listen to the silence.
..........