“But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk 2:20 NKJV

Silence is a “lack of sound; quiet.” There doesn’t seem to be much silence in my house with barking dogs, buzzing alarms, music radios, blaring TV’s, and us (maybe mostly me) talking. Think for just a minute, when is your house silent? Do you have some quiet time during the day?

Our verse for today is from a prophet in the Old Testament named Habakkuk. He tells us that all the earth, and us too, are to keep silence before the Lord because He is in His holy temple. But because Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for us, and arose from the dead, we are the Lord’s holy temples. When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died and arose for us then the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, in us.

So why do we need to still be silent before the Lord? When we are silent and our minds are quiet and focused on God, on His word, or His promises to us, then we can actually feel God close. We can pray and share our problems and our thanks. We can sense His love, His approval, and His peacefulness. We can be with God! Even though God is always with us, the noise and problems of the world sometimes keep us from God. The silence can help us.

My best time to spend with the Lord is early morning, the dogs are fed and snoozing (again), it’s quiet and slow, no phones, no TV or radio, just me and my Bible and the Lord. For you it might be after school or after dinner when less is going on or even before bed.

This week, find a time to be with the Lord in the silence, no games, no TV, no music, no noise, and no talking, except to God. Sit for a few minutes and focus your mind on God, maybe on all he’s done for you or on your favorite Bible verses or simply that you are His holy temple. Let your heart listen. Do you need to apologize to someone, help someone at school or home, share God with someone, or maybe just enjoy your time with the Lord? Spend time with the Lord in the silence and find out.

Blessings and joy as you spend time with the Lord in the silence!