Listening to God

The more I reflect on silence, the more I understand that it is about listening. Over the years this pondering has led me to questions about my attitude to silence and why I have tried to avoid it in the past. This morning the rain is making a steady path down the diamond shaped glass of my office window. The rain has reduced the level of noise that can invade my space and, apart from the noise of the computer keyboard there is a movement into silence. Maybe now is a good time for me to reflect on silence.

n  Silence, n & v.t. Abstinence from speech or noise, being silent, taciturnity, non betrayal of secret etc., fact of not mentioning a thing, absence of sound, stillness.

Oxford Dictionary

1. Why is silence so hard to deal with?
2. What kind of noise do you have in your life?
3. Do you have a mobile phone?
4. Do you ever surround yourself with noise intentionally?
5. If so, why do you think we do this?
6. Do you wish you God’s voice would be louder in your life?
7. Does all the noise in our lives make it harder to hear God?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

Jesus in Matthew 11:28

8. If I’m not still, and I don’t listen, how is Jesus going to give me rest?

“Search your hearts and be silent.”

Psalm 4:4

9. When was the last time you spent some time in silence?
10. Have you the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you might have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?
11. Do you sometimes avoid silence because you’re afraid of what God might actually have to say?

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”

Luke 5:16

These were the regular disciplines that Jesus had. Silence. & solitude

12. Are you ever alone or do you always need somebody around you?
13. Does my day, my time, my life look like  that of a person who wants to hear God’s voice
14. What are some things in your daily life that you could change to eliminate some of the noise?
15. Is it possible that you have been searching for God in the winds …the earthquakes and fires …    and he’s waiting to speak to you in the silence?