The Gift Of Silence
By Tiffany Lewis and Gail Douglas

This morning the presence of the Lord came in so heavily while my friend and I were chatting on the phone, that we both had to stop what we were doing.  Immanuel was indeed coming amongst us at this very moment of time, breaking in on our otherwise ordinary conversation.  We both got quiet and in the silence I asked Him, “What do I do with this presence, Lord?  Shall I pray for someone?  Shall I read something, say something?  Shall I play something for You?  What do you want me to do, Lord?”

The Lord replied—do nothing—just wait in My presence.  “Wait?”  I thought, “Wait for what, God?  Wait for a direction of what You want me to do??”  Again He said—No, just wait and do nothing, just be still and know that I am God.

So we did, sitting there on the telephone in utter silence, we sat still and got to know God.  I felt the Lord say that silence/selah is the best gift we can bring Him.  That silence is the greatest expression of our love to Him.

Why do we get uncomfortable with silence and look for something to do?  Silence is a doing, it is a demonstration.  It’s a ‘doing’ that simply wants to be with Him.  Why is it so hard for our flesh to comprehend?  There are two sides to every gift, giving and receiving. There is nothing wrong with responding with a doing; in fact it would be un-natural if we didn’t.  But after you’ve said thank you, it’s time to just enjoy the gift.  The giver gave you the gift so that you can enjoy it after all.

When you love someone you want to show them that you love them.  Love wants to give, love has to give, it just can’t stay bottled up!  Well God is Love.  Immanuel means; God is with us.  He came to be with us because He couldn’t keep His Love bottled up any longer.  We were created in the Image of Love to receive Love and then to give it back to Him in return.  We weren’t really created to anything but have fellowship with God.  Adam walked with God, he talked with God, he hung out with God.  Jesus came to restore the unconditional communion that was lost in the garden of Eden.

What greater gift can we give Him but to just receive His love?  I’ve always identified with the song ‘Little Drummer Boy’.  I felt that my piano music was my drum, my gift that I could bring to the Lord.  Yet several years ago I went through a season in my life where I had to learn how to pray and to worship without playing my instrument, without playing my ‘drum’.  What would I ‘do’ now that was of any worth to Him?  What could I bring to Him without playing my drum?

But here’s the thing that stuns me…He doesn’t need anything from me—He just wants me.  He didn’t ask me to give, He asked me to receive.  Yet we feel guilty when we’ve been given a gift and we don’t have a gift to give in return.  But the truth is when we receive the gift, it blesses the Giver. 

When we sit with Him and receive His love, we are giving Him our undivided attention.  The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with ALL your heart; undivided devotion.  Matt Redman in his song, The Heart of Worship puts it this way; "when the music fades, and all is stripped away and I simply come.  Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless Your heart. I’ll bring You more than a song…”  As we be still and know that He is God, in that gift of silence we are giving Him an undivided heart.

Sitting in His presence on the phone with my friend we didn’t want to “do” anything except enjoy His presence. There is a time for doing and a time for being, this was a time for simply being.

Silence is indeed the finest gift we bring - to lay before the King.