I'll never forget the first time I was invited to spend an extended period of time in silence with God. It was an entire 30 minutes, and I found it so helpful and exciting. For the first two or three minutes. I poured out every word of prayer I could possibly express. Then what? I was stuck. And very bored.

 

As I struggled to stay in the silence and shush my inward chatter, I could feel my spirit finally come to rest like a shaken jar settling. The quieter I became, the more palpable God's presence became.

 

I am always reminded of Elijah struggling on Mount Horeb:

 

So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 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 19:11-12)

 

How quiet do I need to become in order to hear the sound of a gentle blowing? How can I settle my soul enough to hear the gentle whisper of God? How desperately do I need my inward jabbering to cease so I can truly hear and experience the Lord God Almighty?

 

"Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

(Psalm 46:10-11)

 

Some translations have “cease striving”, others have “be still”. The Hebrew imperative here means “to slacken”, in other words: “to drop your fur”. A dog raises his hackles (the fur on his neck and back) when he feels aggressive, frightened, unsure, threatened, or lost. He wants to look bigger, stronger, more capable of defending himself. But it’s all just an act, nothing but empty fluff. How often we go through life with our fur raised, prone to freeze or flee or fight. When we cease striving, become still, and “drop our fur”, we surrender to the only One who is truly capable of handling what life throws at us.

 

This psalm ends with “Selah”. It is usually a musical notation for an instrumental interlude or break for the singers. It indicates “stop, pause, listen”. Let everything you just read sink in. Go back and read this again. Meditate upon these words. Yes, this will be on the test. Shut up and listen. Allow yourself to take the time to be steeped in truth, peace, comfort, challenge, and power.

 

Yet, we usually skip right over the “selahs” in Scripture.

 

Being still and silent does not come naturally to most people. Most of us need to learn how to enter in, how to let the dust settle, and learn to discern the voice of God in a very loud world. Most non-monks need a gentle invitation along with some companionship, instruction, direction, and support. But once you have experienced life-giving, restful fellowship with the Lord, it becomes a wonderful cool drink of water to a wandering, befuddled nomad in the desert. Solitude is not isolation. Solitude is being with God and God alone. Beautiful, transformative connection with the One who loves us more than we can possibly imagine.

 

Silence and solitude are not burden nor a luxury for me. They are as necessary as oxygen in order to walk with Jesus and to do the countercultural ministry God has led me into. When others are teaching us how to multitask, my weird job within Psalm One is to teach people how to uni-task.

 

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD

And to meditate in His temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

 

As I grew in my faith, a half hour alone with God not only became do-able, it was not enough. Eventually I learned how to spend a day with the Lord. A whole day. Still thirsty. Then a weekend. Still hungry. When my sister and I were caring for my father in his final months in 2018, Jesus kept saying, “Come away with me.” Being a woman of great obedience and faith, I replied, “Are you crazy? I can’t leave now! Do you have any idea what’s happening?!?” But God kept inviting, and eventually I went away for 18 days alone with the Lord on the remote Outer Hebrides.

 

I would never have survived that year without that precious prayer pilgrimage.

 

I'm heading away again on yet another prayer pilgrimage starting next week. I will eventually end up in Kenya, surrounded by lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, hippos, and all the other wildlife that God uses as such a powerful love language in my life. Many of you know how God has used dogs, sheep, kangaroos, mantas, manatees, sea turtles, whales, birds, koalas, octopuses, and so many other creatures to love me and teach me.

 

If you want to come along (vicariously), e-mail “Prayer Pilgrimage” to me by February 7. If you will pray for me on this journey, I will send a few photos as well as a few stories of divine appointments and whispers from the Lord along the way. If you've traveled with me like this before, you know there's never a dull moment in my life when God draws me away. As many of you know, I know not to approach wildlife, but wildlife doesn't seem to know not to approach me. I am the Animal Whisperer. Who knows what could happen in Africa?

 

If you want to experience “Selah”, I invite you to join us for a Refocus and Refuel Retreat. These Cincinnati getaways are for men and women, lay and clergy, single or married, anyone who longs for a closer walk with Jesus. You will have your own ensuite room in a peaceful and beautiful setting, the encouragement and accountability of others, and all the direction you need to listen for that still, small voice. We love these retreats, and we would love to have you join us. For more information or to register: https://www.psalmone.org/refocus-and-refuel

• March 14-16

• September 26-28

• November 14-16

 

If you have a New Year's resolution to spend more time in the Word, join us online Tuesday at 7:30 PM Eastern Time for the Psalm One Bible Study. We are starting to dig into 2 Peter, so hop in any time. This is an encouraging community of men and women. We'd love to have you. Sign up to receive the links and stay in the loop: https://www.psalmone.org/tuesday-night-bible-study

 

If you are a pastor’s wife, no matter how many multiple hats you wear, join us for the Sisterhood of the Fishbowl Soul Care Retreat in Green Lake, Wisconsin February 28 to March 2. What a joy to be with others who truly understand the wonderful, weird, wooly life in the ministry. Come away with us to be encouraged by genuine friends, even if you haven’t met them yet. The Early Bird Rate ends February 7. For more information or to register: https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives

 

If you are a pastor's wife, whether or not you can come to a soul care retreat, join us for a Thursday Night Oasis at 7:30pm ET for a safe and encouraging time of sharing, laughter, input, prayer, and support with the best friends you could possibly find. To sign up for the links and resources: https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives

 

If you are an Aussie or a Kiwi, stay tuned. Goodtime Linda is heading back down under later in 2025. One never knows where she might pop up…

 

On to the next adventure,

Linda