Be Silent and Let Him Work
"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
The Night Nobody Said Anything
A couple had been the subject of much fasting and prayer. The man drank, and when he drank he went into uncontrollable rages that often ended in a suicide attempt. Nothing anyone said to him seemed to reach him.
One evening the woman called, terribly upset. He had been drinking and was in a suicidal rage. She asked to bring him over.
They arrived within minutes. He immediately began shouting and pacing the floor, extremely agitated.
The Lord said: be still and let Me handle this.
So she did.
After a few minutes the woman came over and asked, "Aren't you going to pray, or say something to him?"
"No. I have already asked the Lord what to do, and He told me to be silent and let Him handle the situation. So come and sit here with me and listen to the music."
He paced the floor for over an hour.
Then, suddenly, he sat down and asked for a cup of coffee. She got up and made him one.
Then they all sat in silence for another hour.
Finally he looked up, rather sheepishly, and said: "I know that I have been in sin and that what I really need is the Lord. Would you be willing to pray with me and help me find Him?"
What That Demonstrated
The Holy Spirit showed her something powerfully through that evening:
How important it is that we simply be obedient, willing vessels walking in close fellowship with Him. As we do this, He is free to flow through us and around us.
When all is said and done, only the Holy Spirit can convict of sin and of the need for a Savior. Only He knows what is in each heart and what is actually needed in each situation.
Christians put enormous emphasis on always having the right thing to say or pray. Sometimes the right thing is nothing at all.
Why We Talk Instead
Because silence feels like failure.
We are present, something is wrong, and we believe we are obliged to contribute. Not speaking feels like negligence — and, if we are honest, it deprives us of the satisfaction of having been the one who helped.
But a great deal of Christian speech in a crisis is for the speaker's benefit rather than the hearer's.
"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
"In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
The Prerequisite
Do not mistake this for a technique. It only works if you are actually in close fellowship with Him and have actually asked.
She was silent because she had asked what to do and received an answer. That is entirely different from being silent because you are uncomfortable, or unprepared, or hoping someone else will handle it.
The instruction was specific to that night. Another night He might have told her to speak.
The point is not silence. The point is obedience.
Point to Ponder
A great deal of Christian speech in a crisis is for the speaker's benefit rather than the hearer's.
Verse to Remember
"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
Question to Consider
When did I last ask God what to do in a situation — before doing something?
Today's Practice
Build one habit this week: ask before you act.
In every situation where you feel the pull to speak, advise, correct, comfort, or fix — stop for a moment first and ask silently: "Lord, what do You want here? Do You want me to speak, or to be quiet?"
Then obey the answer, including when the answer is nothing.
Notice what rises in you when you are told to be silent. Frustration? A sense of being useless? An urge to contribute anyway? That reaction is worth examining, and it will tell you a great deal about whose benefit your words are for.
And in at least one situation this week, deliberately practice the harder discipline: be present without speaking. Sit with someone. Make the coffee. Put on the music. Say nothing about their situation at all.
Then watch what the Holy Spirit does that your words never could.
Prayer
Father, I have talked when I should have been quiet, and most of the time I did it because silence felt like doing nothing.
I have wanted to be useful. I have wanted to be the one who said the thing that helped. And I have interrupted work You were doing in people because I could not bear to sit still.
Teach me to ask before I act.
And when the answer is to be silent, give me the discipline to be silent — present, unhurried, saying nothing, trusting that You are working in a room where nothing appears to be happening.
Only You can convict of sin. Only You know what is in a person's heart. I know almost nothing and I have been speaking as though I knew a great deal.
Make me an obedient, willing vessel. Flow through me and around me. And get my words out of Your way.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
He paced for an hour. They sat for another hour. Then he asked for the Lord himself.