The Sound of Sheer Silence

Have you ever read this passage from 1 Kings 19:11-12? [The Angel of the Lord] said [to Elijah], ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

Elijah the prophet had been working his heart out for God ... and he was TIRED! Elijah needed a retreat from all of the chaos that was his life. Have you ever been stuck in the chaos of life? Have you ever been so tired you couldn't even sleep? Have you ever just needed a time away from your life? For me, this is time for a silent retreat ... not a vacation. A vacation leaves me wanting ... but a silent retreat refreshes me.

Have you ever heard the sound of "sheer silence?" For me it is a place where there are no words ... and no errant thoughts ... nothing but gentle presence ... When I see an majestic bird (perhaps an eagle or maybe a falcon) flying and flying and flying up, up, up and then ... it drops into a glide through the air with no effort at all ... that is what dropping into sheer silence is like for me.

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

FYI: If you have never tried the ancient practice of Lectio Divina ... try out this week's MOSAIC Bible Study