Let the Earth Be Silent Before the Lord

The Lord spoke to Habakkuk and said in Habakkuk 2:20,

“But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the Earth be silent before Him."

The Lord was answering Habakkuk’s questions regarding the current state of affairs that were taking place at the time. It was a time of hardship for the nation of Israel, for God was punishing them for their idolatry, and He was using an even wickeder nation as His instrument of punishment. God was telling Habakkuk here, and us today as well, that He is sovereign. Regardless of the seemingly unending chaos all around us, the Lord remains sovereign, and He is in control. As the Lord told David earlier,

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth." (Psalm 46:10)

We should all seek time out in our daily lives to spend some quiet time alone with God. We are to be still before Him. It is during this time of serenity that we must search our hearts and examine our inner thoughts. This often humbles us greatly before the Lord. During this time we also become conscious of sin in our lives, and we can confess our sins before Him and get them cleared away so that we can really beseech the Lord and not have our prayers hindered. This time of quietness is also a time when we can just contemplate God, to think of Who He is, and to reflect upon His mighty grace and power. It is a time where we can prepare our souls for true communion with Him.

We would be wise to remember the words found in Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Why is it, do you suppose, that we are told that those who wait on the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles? Why are we not told they will mount up with wings as doves? I believe it has to do with the nature of the eagle. The eagle is the only bird that flies so high it is lost to sight in the upper heights. The eagle is also a most solitary bird. Have you ever seen or heard of a flock of eagles? His aerie is to be found among the inaccessible crags of a mountaintop. But an eagle is also the stillest of creatures. No living thing holds such reserves of quietness. An eagle is never restless. He can be quiet when it is time to be quiet, at perfect peace and tranquility. That is mounting up with wings as eagles. No Christian will ever do greater service in the kingdom for the multitudes until he first learns to walk silently alone with God.

May the Lord bless you as you mount on wings as eagles!