Silence

Over the past week and a bit God's been really convicting me to spend more time in silence, in pure silence. No computer, no phone, no music, just quiet and stillness.

Last night I spent several hours down at Secliff Beach playing with lights and long exposure on a friend's camera, but for a few minutes I walked towards the sea and stood ankle deep in the water. Gentle waves were coming in and breaking on the shore but I was amazed at how still everything seemed. I wanted to spend forever there, I would have spent a whole night there if it was possible.

I feel like I need more of that kind of silence in my life, where I just stop worrying about what's going on and spend however long I need to in silence and listen to God's heart. Too many times I think I have the expectation that I need to talk about my problems to God and that will just solve everything, but it doesn't work like that. I keep thinking it over and over in my head and I've realised that by doing that I put my own needs before God's needs, whinging did not get the Israelites to the land God had promised, it makes me selfish. He wants me to still my soul, to give all my burdens to him and to find what he wants for me, and what he wants to speak to me about, by being silent.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
- Psalm 46:8-11, ESV