“…I will say no more.” Job 40:5b

Although he did speak again to The Lord, Job remained silent through God’s final address. The teachable moment for Job had arrived. The quiver of God’s queries had hit their mark, and Job realized his unworthiness to reprimand The Creator, as well as his own inability to respond on the questions previously addressed to him (v.4a).

Job admitted his impulsive nature of speaking out of turn (v.5), and resolved to speak no more -symbolizing such by placing his hand over his mouth (v.4b). Job had learned that there really was a time to speak and a time to keep silent (read Ecclesiastes 3:7).

Holding one’s tongue is quite difficult for most. We more closely resemble young Elihu, who felt compelled to speak (see Job 32:20), having held back his words while others spoke first (see Job 32:11). And while he kept his thoughts, the words kept filling his mind, to the point that he was like bottled up wine about to burst (see Job 32:19)! Have you ever felt that way? Most of us have.

There are times when silence is golden:

• Witnessing a sunrise or sunset at the ocean;

• Being present during the delivery of a baby;

• Comforting one during his/her last moments on earth;

• When one has nothing nice to say to another; and

• When seeking God’s presence.

Simply being still and experiencing God’s presence is a discipline worth attempting. Failure in one’s attempts to do so only fuels the passion for trying again to hear the still-small voice of God. When you are still… chase all other distracting thoughts away. Keep the central focus of your thinking on the grandeur, majesty and awe of God’s presence, power, provision, and protection.

Allow thanksgiving to well up within, instead of words to burst out upon another. Then release the moment of thanksgiving as a doxology of worship to The Lord.

I will say no more…