The Art of Silence

Sunday 7-17-2016   Home in Modesto

Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 29 - 31     James 1

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  James 1:19-20  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. NKJV

O.  James encourages us to be good listeners, wise counselors and always with our temper under control.  An act made in a flurry of anger never displays the righteousness of God. 

A.  Too often I have it backwards.  I am quick to speak and slow to hear.  Simon Peter was always the one who was too quick to speak.  I had a friend who now is with the Lord.  He was a wise man.  Everyone respected him for his wisdom.  Whenever someone asked us a question.  My mouth instantly had something to say.  But he was very slow to speak.  Silently, inside of me I was pushing for him to answer... “Come on!  Speak!  Speak!”  The long 5 or 10 second pause of silence was driving me crazy!  Then, in his good time, slowly he would come out with his answer well considered and even his sentences well formed.  How many times, both Brother Peter and I might have liked to have erased our spoken words, but spoken words cannot be undone.  I would want to reach out into the air and stuff the words back in my mouth, but it was too late.  All I could do was apologize and ask forgiveness... and, yes, I have found myself having to do that far too often.

P.  Lord, today Brother James is my mentor.  When can I ever mature and learn what he is teaching me?  Is there no hope for the likes of me?  I know better, but my mouth gets going before my brain is engaged.  There I am listening to my instant answer blurting out while the other person has not even completed his sentence yet.  Lord, teach me the art of silence.  Amen.

Ralph