The Silence

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ~Psalm 18:1-2

It is Holy Week. A time to stop and ponder all that Jesus did on the cross to give us eternal life.

Have you ever noticed that there is a day of silence between Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross, and His resurrection on Sunday? It was Saturday, the Sabbath day; no work, only rest and a time to pause. Interesting how it timed out this way. Jesus' death just happens to land on the day before the Sabbath, also known as the day set apart to stop and rest. A day everything stops. This was not by chance. However, the gospels tell us nothing about this day whatsoever... silence.

One must wonder what this day was like for the disciples and all those following Jesus. What was going through their minds and how did they manage all of their emotions? Doubt and fear must have roared so intensely Inside their hearts . Jesus was gone from their eyes! The very One they believed had come to save the world. They couldn't possibly have seen how this would turn for their good.

Jesus also experienced a silence on the cross. As His tortured body hung, He was covered in the depths of OUR sin. The Father could not look on Him and Jesus cried out in agony, "My God, My God, why have You foresaken Me?" ~Mark 15:34

Have you ever experienced times of silence? Times when you don't sense the Lord's presence and you can't hear His voice? The pressures of life feel too great and you wonder if you have been left alone to handle them.

David did.

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel to my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? ~Psalm 13: 1-2

So, what do we do in the silence? How do we respond and how do we cope with all of our raw emotions and bone tired weariness?

We cry out to the Father like Jesus and David did. We give Him the heavy weight of our burdens, our fear and sorrow. We cry out, we surrender and we rest in Him.

For as many as are lead by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:14-15

We are reminded in Psalm 139 that we are never left alone. He will never leave us.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into Heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall hold me. vs. 7-10

Seek to find Him in the silence. He is there.

Pray with me...

Heavenly Father,

Your Word comforts our hearts and soothes the ache in our souls. Thank You for the cross and the price You paid to deliver us from evil. We draw near to You this Holy Week and we ponder all that You have done for us. Pour out Your Spirit on us. Use us for Your glory and let Your Kingdom come. In Jesus Name