Two of my favorite Bible verses deal with being still before the Lord. I encourage you to look up Psalm 37:7 and Psalm 46:10 in your favorite Bible translation. These two verses are worth committing to memory, as they make it very clear there are times when we need to just BE STILL and wait on God.
I want to return to the book of Revelation in this month’s blog and briefly address the concept of waiting on God or “being still” before the Lord. The last time I mentioned a topic in Revelation, I discussed being sealed in chapter seven and what that means for believers. Now, in Rev. 8, the 7th seal is introduced by a period of silence in heaven, followed by prayers offered up to God, and seven angels blowing the seven trumpets signaling more judgment and more destruction. Many believe the seals, trumpets, and bowl judgments throughout John’s vision all occur chronologically during a future seven-year period of time, whereas others disagree, claiming many of these judgments are taking place now, during the church age. I’ll come back to that in a future blog post.
When Jesus opens the final seal in Rev. 8:1… everything stops. There is silence in heaven for about half an hour. Some have thought this period of time symbolizes the first half of God’s “hour of judgment,” although that is only conjecture. We do know that all activity in heaven from the previous chapter stops abruptly to see what will happen next. This is a dramatic pause in the action indicating an expectant and reverent silence. Heaven is waiting on the Lord.
There are two important elements regarding silence. First, the Scriptures often associate silence with God’s judgment, as is the case here. Second, silence can be an important element in spiritual growth. As Psalm 37:7 and 46:10 attest, the Bible has much to say about being still and waiting on the Lord. Since being silent and patient can be difficult at times, they can both be elements of our worship and spiritual growth.
As we move forward, the context of the next few verses suggests that while heaven is silent, God is listening to our prayers. This is an incredible aspect of John’s vision because the prayers of all the saints, mixed with incense, are offered up to God (verse 4). And the Lord responds!
Yet before we get to the censer and the prayers, I have a challenge for you: Be still before the Lord for 10 minutes.
Set a timer on your phone or watch, if needed, and literally sit quietly for the next 10 minutes, asking God to speak to you. I suggest you read both Psalm 37:7 and Psalm 46:10 again, and then just be still and listen to God’s voice. Journal your thoughts and experiences in a notebook.
Stop now and take 10 minutes to sit quietly and meditate on God’s word.
[Do not move forward to the following three questions until you complete the challenge]
- Along with Psalm 37:7 and 46:10, read Habakkuk 2:20 and Zechariah 2:13. Why are patience and stillness important spiritual disciplines in our lives?
- How are you doing in those areas of your own walk with God?
- How can you become more still and patient before the Lord?
