Silence
What’s up, guys!? Not sure how long this post will be, but hopefully short. Then again… we’ll see where my thoughts spill out. Let’s ride!
Psalm 39:2-4 'I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: “Lord , make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. '
This Psalm was heavy on my heart this morning as I reflected on the past couple of years of my life. Having been someone who spent most of his life manipulating people through words and actions, I knew that when God got a hold of me, He was certainly going to deal with that part of me. And I can’t lie— it was extremely difficult.
The first time I encountered this Psalm, I was in a really tough spot in my life, so stricken with grief. My motives were good—genuinely good—and I knew that because I’d spent a lifetime with bad ones; the contrast was clear.
But here’s the thing: good intentions are a matter of the heart. And when you start trying to convince people of them, you turn it into a matter of the head.
Party foul.
Often, God will let you hit a wall so you can come to the realization of the truth about something. And I found that truth in this Psalm.
Though the title of this post is Silence, the real heart of the passage is the Psalmist’s request: “Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am.” It’s reflective.
I remember sitting on my floor, tears falling, realizing I simply thought too much of myself—not in an ego sense, but in the way most of us do: believing we have control.
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
It’s interesting how subtly we fall into this pattern of thinking. But when you finally take the knee, you find that turning upward to Him is the better option.
Silence isn’t always the absence of words; sometimes it’s the decision to hold them. These days, when I’m grieved by how people express their own pain, I often want to have a conversation with them to alleviate it. But through this Psalm, I’ve learned to continually offer those burdens up in prayer instead.
It actually reminds me of the Charlie Kirk assassination. I was grieved by many of the responses I saw. I wanted to write something to convince both Christians and non-Christians that there is a more excellent way of living—and that’s through love. But eventually, God impressed upon my heart that compassion is love in motion. And if that’s true, then I ought to lean more heavily on being that expression of love rather than mansplaining it.
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
One of the most valued concepts in America is freedom of speech. So there’s no doubt this country “loves” it. The issue is: what fruit is it producing?
When a child reaches for fire, a loving parent intervenes:
“This will harm you if you go near.”
The parent’s will opposes the child’s, but it’s rooted in love.
Now imagine a different response:
“You’re so dumb. Go ahead and burn yourself.”
Both aim to teach—both might plant seeds of wisdom, but one definitely sows seeds of shame. And if we’re honest, our words often do the same—setting out to perform heart surgery but showing up with a butter knife.
Maybe the analogy is a stretch, but if you look at it with an open mind, you’ll see how often we fall short in our speech—and maybe how valuable silence can be in certain spaces. I could say more, but I’ll take my own advice and put a pin in it for now.
Till next entry!
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