Devotionals for the Heart: When you learn how to find comfort in silence

The Comfort of Silence
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”—Psalm 46:10 (KJV)

There is something beautiful about the comfort of silence.

I love just sitting in the car with my sister or a friend and simply enjoying the other’s company without having to say anything unnecessary or forced. It is in this place of familiarity where I am most relaxed and able to be myself.

Comfortable silence is a special feature reserved for those who are closest to us. When we are with our family and close friends, we don’t feel the need to fill in the pauses in conversation. A lull in conversation with friends who understand us, does not evoke us to sift through our thoughts for something to say or ask.

Oddly enough, as Christians, we don’t invite God to enjoy this special feature of comfortable silence with us. This past Autumn, I dove headfirst into a deeper relationship with God. It felt like He was speaking to me through everything, about everything…until He wasn’t.

There were days, sometimes weeks, where God did not say anything. He was silent. Naturally, I drowned myself in a spiral of negative thoughts. What have I done wrong? Why isn’t God speaking to me anymore? Maybe I did something to upset Him. I should pray more. I should read my Bible more. God, please say something. Anything. Can He even hear me?

After months of back and forth—from God’s speaking to His silence—I attempted to find the formula. I thought that maybe since I was reading my Bible more, God would be pleased with me and speak to me more often. Or I thought that if I prayed for a whole hour that day God would dramatically make Himself known to me. Like a vague acquaintance, God’s silence made me uncomfortable, and I wanted to fill the pauses in conversation. I wanted my time with God to mean more, but I didn’t know what that looked like.

I listened to a podcast about the desert seasons in our life when God is silent and investigated other great resources on the topic. Slowly, I came to realize the truth behind God’s silence. I did not do anything wrong. True, sometimes we willingly run away from Him and ignore the Spirit. Sometimes, we do things that grieve the Spirit, and we create a breach in the relationship. But I wasn’t running away from God. In fact, I was running toward Him, and when we diligently seek God, He always reveals Himself to us.

God was not upset with me for failing to read a whole book of the Bible in a day. He simply wanted me to be still—to still my movement, my thoughts, my assumptions. He wanted to meet me without words. He wanted to sit with me in the silence and simply enjoy my company. Take a moment and consider how humbling that is, dear reader. Sometimes, God simply wants to join you in the silence and enjoy your company. Because He loves being with you.

God’s silence is a gift. When we are given this gift of silence it proves our growing relationship with Him. He promises to never leave us. His silence is not evidence that He is not present, but rather, evidence that He is becoming a closer friend to us who can share in and enjoy the silence. God wants to meet you in the silence, dear reader. Learn to be still. Learn to know Who He truly is. Learn to enjoy the silence.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for these seasons of silence. Often, we become discouraged or frustrated when we believe You no longer hear our prayers and answer only in silence. Allow our relationship with You to deepen to the place where we find comfort in simply being still and knowing who You are. You are our Savior, our Comforter, and our Friend. Bring us to the place of contentment and acceptance of silence. Help us to find comfort in Your silence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Tessa’s devotional message today reminds me of the song “Be Still and Know” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five.

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159

Listen to this podcast episode about my devotional book "Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God"

 

Podcast interview with Ginny Owens

Listen to this episode of the Ready to Thrive podcast, featuring Christian music recording artist Ginny Owens! It will inspire and encourage your heart. God loves you, dear heart!

My most recent podcast interview

Hope*Writer Laura Conrad interviewed me about my devotional book that I wrote! 

Listen below...

Ascolta "Tuesday's Talk with Author Alexis A. Goring" su Spreaker.

My interview with the Truth, Salt and Spice podcast about my NEW book!

Dear Reader Friends,

I'd love for you to listen to my very first interview with Xamayta Graver on her "Truth, Salt and Spice" podcast!

She interviewed me about my faith journey with God, my work as a professional writer and how I wrote my first devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God.

Listen and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! :)

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Truth

Fight guilt with God’s truth
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 
– Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Do you ever beat yourself up or struggle with guilt after making mistakes?

I do.

I’m starting a podcast and it’s all very new to me: working with audio equipment, using the right app for editing and learning about soundproofing.

All of this is way out of my element. I’m a writer, not a podcaster. Then God informed me that I would do this podcast and now I am both.

It’s been quite a learning curve. I mess up a lot.

Today’s blunder involved sound.

Several months ago, I set up an interview with a friend that God selected who has a wonderful story to tell. Grateful that she said yes to this new endeavor of mine, I placed her on my calendar several months out so I would have enough time to prep for her interview.

Finally her interview date arrived. I turned off all fans, dripping water, anything that could mess up my audio quality for this interview. With my equipment set up, sound checks done, I was ready to go.

Then the sound of metal clanking and an engine revving floated through my window.  My landscapers were here and my microphone was picking up every single sound they made. I forgot that my landscapers usually arrive on Thursday mornings around 7 o’clock to do yard work. Therefore, I had to cancel the interview.

My guest was gracious and rescheduled but I felt terrible. How could I forget such an important detail?

Honestly, I am my worst enemy when I make mistakes. (I may have a slight problem with perfectionism.) I am overly hard on myself. I play the mistake over and over again in my head, going over what went wrong and how I failed. I tell myself things like:

“You should know better.”

“You’ve failed.”

“You never get things right.”

“You let everyone down.”

“Why do you always forget the details?”

“You’re a disappointment to God.”

After this conversation with myself, I’m not feeling too great. These lies have weighed me down. The guilt hangs on me like a heavy millstone. I feel myself slipping away from God, too ashamed to be in His presence.

I forget the most important truth found in Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Because we are children of God, we’ve gained our freedom from condemnation through Christ’s sacrifice. He put himself on the Cross because He loves us and wanted to take the weight of our sin away. That weight is eternal suffering and separation from God.

When we sin, repent and ask for forgiveness, God out of love forgets it. It’s as if the sin never occurred. So when we choose to continue to bring up that sin or feel guilty about it after receiving God’s forgiveness, we are basically saying that our sin, our mistakes are too big for the Cross.

Nothing is bigger than the Cross.

God knows we’re human. He knows we’re going to mess up. Yet He loves and forgives us anyway.

When you’re feeling guilty or unable to forgive yourself, remember that no condemnation comes from God. God convicts our hearts when we sin, but offers love, forgiveness and ways to change. Any lasting guilt and shame you’re feeling comes from Satan. We have an accuser, an enemy of our soul who seeks to destroy us through false accusations, shame and guilt. When you’re struggling with this, you’re being attacked friend.

When those attacks come against you, fight back with truth. Here are some of my favorites:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” –2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” 
–Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” 

–Hebrews 10:17 (NIV)

When guilt comes, remember: 

You are loved. You are chosen. You are forgiven.

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Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA. 

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and hopes to launch her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

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Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com