Vital Signs: Saturday, March 22, 2025

The Power of Stillness

“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have you ever tried to quiet a loud room? Attempting to yell above the crowd usually doesn’t work, does it? It’s far more effective to shush the crowd with a shhh. That’s the method God employs. His whisper quiets us, calms us, stills us.

That’s why chronic noise may be the greatest impediment to our spiritual growth. When our lives get loud, with noise filling every frequency, we lose our sense of being. We run the risk of turning into human doings rather than human beings. And when our schedules get busy, we lose our sense of balance, which is a function of the inner ear.

Can I go out on a limb? Your life is too loud. Your schedule is too busy.

That’s how, why, and when we forget that God is God. And it takes very little to distract us. The solution? Stillness. Or more specifically, His still small voice. Silence is anything but passive waiting. It’s proactive listening. And each day, God’s voice gets a little louder in our lives until He’s all we can hear. If you want to hear the heart of God, silence is key. If you want the Spirit of God to fill you, be still.

The psalmists referred to God as their refuge, their fortress, and their ever-present help in times of need. But my favorite descriptor might be the hiding place. Did you know that God is singing songs of deliverance all around you—all the time? You can’t hear them because they’re outside your range of hearing, but you’re surrounded by a sonic shield. Those songs of deliverance are powerful enough to break any bondage, overcome any addiction, and solve any problem.

I’m not sure what problem you need to solve or what issue you need to resolve, but my prayer is that you’ll learn to discern God’s voice. When you do, His songs of deliverance can set you free! Quit hiding from God. Hide yourself in Him.

What is one noise you could cut out from your day or your schedule this week so you might be able to hear God’s whispers to you more clearly? - (Mark Batterson)