In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 NASB Deep– Before anything else, let’s translate these verses without the theological influence of Western science. When we do, something incredibly important emerges….
Let me not be put toshame, O Lord, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol Psalm 31:17 NASB Silent– Did you notice David’s poetic parallelism? First, don’t let me be put to shame for I call upon You. Implication: those who are exonerated by God have something to say in the…
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Romans 8:26 NASB Groanings too deep – It’s there. You know it’s there. Down deep inside you somewhere that you really can’t look. It’s not…
“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,” Job 3:13 NASB Been quiet – Silence is an emotional response to trauma. It doesn’t have to be. Silence can be the emotional response to awe, to majesty, to gratitude. But that would require prior…
My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. Psalm 62:1 NASB Silence – Are you able to deal with silence? Can you actually sit perfectly still, calm your mind, stop the distractions on the outside and the inside, and hear the God of silence? Or do you find that as soon as you…
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19 NASB Restrains – Did you enjoy sitting in silence (see TW for December 21)? Did it make you feel alive? One of the central themes of the Hebraic worldview is the necessity of community and community requires…
I was mute—in silence. I kept still, deprived of good, and my pain was grievous. Psalm 39:2 (Robert Alter translation) Mute – You’re pummeled by the world. Your friends insult you. You are misunderstood. What do you do? Keep quiet, of course! No one likes a complainer! Don’t you know that it’s not nice to…
After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 1 Kings 19:12 NASB Not – Where is YHVH? Perhaps the better question is: Where is YHVH when everything seems like it is falling apart? We know where He is when things…
Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? Psalm 58:1 [English] NASB O gods – So you’re a leader? You have authority over others. You guide them. They look to you for direction. Whether officially or unofficially, you have been thrust to the front. You might not even…
For God alone my soul waits in silence, from Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1 ESV (English text) Alone – What does it mean to wait on God alone? We probably think this means that we are waiting for God and no one else. He must answer. No one else will do. That’s at least…
