Silence In Heaven

When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour. (Revelation 8:1 NLT)

Observation and Application:

Suddenly, in John’s vision of the events that signify the end of time and life as we know it, there was a half hour of silence throughout heaven.  I thought about the calm before the storm, I thought about the intermission at a West End Musical before the climactic ending, I thought about an army preparing for battle as everyone checks their gear, their position, their readiness.

And I thought about my life.  When things are pressured and the schedule is frenetic, it’s easy to lose the center.  Rushing from one thing to the next, finishing one meeting late, then being late for the next meeting before this one is even over, saying “No” to the important things because I’ve said “Yes” to the other things.

It’s like God pushed Heaven’s “Pause button” and said, “Think about what you’ve just experienced and seen and learned.  Digest that and get some perspective on things.  It’s about to get way more intense and I don’t want you to miss anything here.  I don’t want you to make a knee-jerk reaction to what you’re about to see and hear!”

Maybe it’s just me, but I need to take a half-hour of silence in my world pretty much every day (I do that consistently).  I also need to take a quiet day every week and about three more extended quiet periods each year, like God wrote into Israel’s calendar (I don’t do that very well).

What’s your half-hour of silence?

Prayer:

Father, teach me how to build both the silence and the sound of trumpets into the framework and fabric of my life.  Help me to live a centered life and then let that influence the lives of those you place near me in my world.  Amen.