Some people really struggle with navigating quiet and solitude. They might need noise, background volume, sound or activity around them to help them fall asleep. Perhaps they keep the TV on or music or white noise in the background while they work. Additionally, some folks find their maximum productivity at a coffee shop, surrounded by people and buzz.
But what happens when the noise stops and the people are missing? What then? What if you find yourself in a place of total silence and complete solitude? Is this idea unsettling to you? Does it make you uncomfortable? Do you start thinking of ways to mitigate the quiet or solitude? Does silence make you anxious?
In asking these questions and exploring these thoughts, I’m aware that each of us is uniquely and divinely designed. In Psalm 139, we read that we are each fearfully and wonderfully made, so our individual divine schematic is to be celebrated and honored. To this end, if you’re an extrovert, then power to the people! Enjoy humanity and relish all of the interactions and connectivity that happens throughout life! On the other side, if you’re an introvert and need big quantities of solitude, then vive la différence! And for all the ambiverts, way to go! Maybe I’m a little jealous of your flexibility—maybe!
Let’s pause, however, and consider the solitude and “quiet” that Elijah experienced in 1 Kings 19. For a smidgen of context, Elijah had just experienced an epic showdown in the previous chapter between the prophets of Baal and himself, such that the true God answered Elijah’s prayer by fire and there was a massive overthrow of Baal’s prophets. After this huge uproar, Queen Jezebel loudly expressed her plan to kill Elijah, who ran for his life, wholly unraveled by the fear of Jezebel’s vociferous threats.
Elijah escaped and collapsed by a tree in utter exhaustion. He received food and water from an angel, giving him enough sustenance to enable him to travel for forty days into the wilderness, where he settled into a cave to rest. Elijah was alone in a cave on Mount Horeb, and God displayed miraculous signs including a strong wind that shattered rocks, an earthquake, and a fire. After these supernatural events, God initiated a conversation with Elijah, and this conversation began with a quiet and gentle whisper or blowing.
In reflecting on all of this, perhaps we can relate to Elijah in the sense that our lives can be overflowing with stressors, hostilities, uncertainties, external upheaval, demands and loads more! There’s no shortage of loud in our lives, and the enemy of our soul wants us to cower in sniveling fear and isolated angst. But let’s appreciate that our heavenly Father knows what we need and when we need such provisions, which can include silence and solitude.
I suggest that God can use silence and solitude to recalibrate our soul, fine tune our focus and bolster our confidence in Him!
