Strength In Silence

Walking with God is often a series of paradoxes. For instance, God says that we get strength through silence. This silence means that we wait upon Him to demonstrate His strength in and through us, instead of acting upon our own initiative. He grants us salvation when we surrender to faith in the sacrifice He made in sending Jesus to die for us. He promises to grant us strength through His grace when we wait upon Him in silent faith.

Psalm 62:1-2 says, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” These verses link strength to salvation. Once we are saved by faith, God becomes our strength just like a mighty fortress or a great stone mountain. We must develop the pattern of waiting for His strength, rather than acting on our own initiative.

Pure Motives

I have noticed that I am proud of some things that I do and would rather not have other people notice other things that I do. What makes the difference? Many factors could impact how I feel about my actions, but my motives seem to impact me the most.

John 3:21 says, “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” When our motives are pure and our hearts are right before God, then our actions will clearly demonstrate that they are from God.

Our Refuge

The Oxford Language Dictionary defines “refuge” as a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. All of us periodically have the need to find refuge from the storms of life. Some of us have very real enemies that we need help defending against. Some of these enemies are within us and cause us great distress.

Psalm 61:1-3 says, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” Sometimes fears, worries, anxieties, and discouragements fight against us. If we cry out to God in these times, He will be our refuge from these storms and the strong tower to fight against these enemies. Jesus is the Rock that is higher in authority and power than all our enemies.

Trusting Vain Things

I have spent a lot of time with baseball players. It is amazing the routines that they use because they believe these things bring them luck. It could be socks that they wore when their hitting streak began and now they refuse to wear any other socks, or even to wash the trusted socks. It could be their routine or walkup music when they approach the batter’s box. Again they don’t want to change anything in the slightest, because they believe in the luck that these things supposedly bring. We do the same thing in different situations. We may believe that one path to the workplace leads to a quick drive and a good day. Some people believe that their morning coffee is essential to how their day will go.

Acts 14:15 says, “We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and all that is in them.” The good news is the simple message of turning away from things that offer no real truth or value. Instead, turn to the God who created all things and put your trust in Him. Trusting in ourselves, our routines, our favorite things and our thoughts will ultimately lead us down the wrong path and into futility. Turning from these things and trusting God will lead us down the right path, providing us with what we truly desire.

Restoration

Suppose that you have furniture that you want to restore. You research possible design features and make your choice. Then, you have to remove old finishes and upholstery. You may have to rebuild parts of the furniture. Then, you can begin to put on the new design. When the project is finished, hopefully, you are satisfied with the new look and function of the furniture.

Psalm 51:12 says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” God always wants to do these two works in us; bringing us the joy of the salvation and placing a spirit within us that is willing to follow Him. His restoration project in us will involve removing old behaviors and attitudes. He will make us into new creations of His specific design upon our lives. As He does this magnificent work, He will give us joy, though the process may be difficult for us. If we agree, He will put a willing spirit within us, so that the result may be beautiful.