Last week was a difficult week, for many reasons that I won’t get into. But it was. Today, as I spent time with the Lord, I was reading in Isaiah chapters 41-45. Something stuck out in the very first verse I read, Isaiah 41:1, but I kept reading. I went back to unpack this verse a little more and I want to share what the Lord was speaking to my heart today. I pray it resonates with you like it did/is for me.
Keep Silent – Come Near – Then Speak
“Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, and let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together for judgement.”
Isaiah 41:1
Keep Silent
Keep silent before the Lord when He is correcting us or messing up our plans to get us in His perfect will.
Keep silent before man when tensions are high. Responding quickly or out of anger isn’t good for anyone.
We must listen. Take in what the Lord is speaking and what’s being said, receive it and wait.
Come Near
In whatever situation we are in, good or bad, we must remember to come near to the Lord. In our joy of a good situation, let us not forget the One who is our joy. In the frustration of a situation, let us not pull away and try to “figure it out” or “do it on our own”. Coming near or being near to the Lord should be our “norm” that should not be new for us.
Then Speak
Once we’ve listened in silence, been near in the presence of the Lord, then we can speak from a place of peace and in wisdom.
We must listen and listen well to what is actually being said. Don’t let the enemy use tones or overthinking tendencies to create a picture, future, or conversation that was never had. What was actually said?
We should continuously be in the presence of the Lord and near to Him. This instruction to come near should not be new information or new news to us. Our patient silence and eventual speaking should be fruit of our relationship and nearness to the Lord. We must allow the Lord to refine away our fleshly responses, thoughts, and reactions to situations.
Once we’ve sat, listened, and been in the presence of the Lord to receive from Him. Then we can speak. Speak only what the Lord tells you. Maybe He’s saying, “don’t speak at all”. The Lord knows us, He knows those we are speaking to, and He knows every situation in between and to come, His timing is perfect, and His plans are perfect.
This is not easy. It is difficult to “keep silent” when someone is saying something we don’t agree with. But what would responding out of anger do? We must live our lives near to the Lord so that we walk in wisdom and in the power of the Holy Spirit to know when to speak, what to speak, and when to wait. Yes, sometimes you must speak immediately, but knowing when and where to do that is fruit of nearness to the Lord.
I encourage you to get in the presence of the Lord today and ask Him to help you. Get silent before Him and let Him speak, let Him minister to your heart, and let Him refine away your flesh.