A Moment of Silence, Please?

The sound of a distant train. The crunching of pebbles. The quiet breeze blowing. The empty mind letting silence do the talking.


Quiet.


In our world, it is quite daring to climb over the wall that separates noise and silence. The idea of shutting up and letting silence speak the words we need to hear seems to take a lot of strength to do. We never get used to the busy life, but somehow we find ourselves attracted to it. Either we feel attracted to it or we feel slowing down will only remove us from any consistency, comfort, or necessity we need to survive. Take any man's career, for example. The man toils and labors nonstop, just to spend the income on things he needs to live; and it does not stop. Everybody goes round and round, never stopping to think to let peace and quiet fill the mind.
It is an interesting presence, silence. Sometimes, we need to shut up and let the Lord speak to us. Even when we are not verbally making noise, the world supplies the noise we are forced to partake in. Everyday, we are dragged out of bed whether we want to or not, feeling the pressure of spending the day productively. When we are silent, letting the whispers of outside noise appease our scattered minds, we find peace; we find God.
How many times do you think about the ground you walk on? How often do you consider the simplicity of the   grass and the complexity of our DNA? What about the sun? Or the infinite stars in the sky?
All of these things can remind us of God's mysterious beauty if we let silence run its course.
So, please, do shut up and let silence do the talking. Let God tell you something you would only hear if you remove yourself from the busy schedule demanded of you. There is something beautiful about that silence, so make time for some silence - maybe check out this video.

The Reality of Water

When we look at water, most of the time, we don't stop and think about how intricate and interesting the liquid is. A small drop can be shattered into smaller droplets even with the slightest touch, yet an entire body of water slows you down when you crash into it. It looks smooth when sitting in a glass cup, but can drown a small dog when crashing down a ravine. This is water, and we take for granted just how interesting it really is. The same liquid that runs gently down your throat when you are thirsty could also sink a ship in the middle of the sea. Then, in the blink of an eye, the heat makes this form of precipitation disappear in a flash...only to appear another day.
Yet, what is most miraculous is what happened when the Lord made it. Genesis 1:2 says, "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
In this simple verse, there is a lot of detail. It sounds like a narration done by Morgan Freeman in a hit Hollywood movie. The earth was empty at this time, but the protection of God himself was over it; the waters were filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit before man walked the earth.
When I am near a body of water, the image never flees from me. I watch the mist rising in the morning, and the waves ripple toward me during the day. At this time, I realize the true power of the water in its collective form. Quiet, pure, and smooth, the water was filled with the Holy Spirit long before ancient wars, conquerers from long ago, and modern cities were constructed. Now that this image is in my mind, nothing else seems to replace this idea that God placed himself upon the surface of the water. It is astounding! Truly amazing!
But, the news gets better. God expressed his love by creating man, and soon enough man was filled with the Holy Spirit. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit..." Acts 4:8 says. Now, 2 Timothy 1:7 encourages us with these words: "For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."
Whether past, present, or future, God has blessed us with his Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit and how it has been God's gift to us since Genesis 1:2 - the beginning of existence. While initially the Holy Spirit "hovered over the waters," it now sets our hearts ablaze as we use our lives to glorify God.
The disciples, as they transformed lives from city to city, they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Just read the Gospels) all the time. It is clear the Holy Spirit rests within us, and while the waters first played host to this form of God, we have been blessed to be used by the Holy Spirit as well.
"Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.
Isn't it ironic that it mentions God saying, "Let there be light," after his Holy Spirit resided on the surface of the waters? Now the Holy Spirit resides in men, and we can be a light to the world (Matthew 5:13). Connection? Indeed. First, God places the Holy Spirit on the water, then creates light and light was formed. Then, God places the Holy Spirit in men, and now we can be a light to the world as God placed light on the earth.
So, lets not have an attitude that limits the Holy Spirit to the waters, but let us be a light to the world that goes far beyond the boundaries of the sea. Let us live as if we do have the Holy Spirit leading our every step. Let us be a light that rises out of the darkness and fills the empty spirits and souls of the world.