It won’t be long until Christmas music permeates the airwaves. Meanwhile, the annual release of new Christmas albums are on their way, as Country, R&B and Christian artists try to give their modern interpretation of classics like Silent Night. However, in this age, there is another meaning to silent night, one without God.
In the song Christmas at Denny’s, Randy Stonehill presents Christmas from an orphans perspective, without a family to call home or gifts to open. In fact, most Americans experience silent nights often, alone, depressed and doubting God’s existence. Although these people may not say it, they are thinking, “if God is real, why did He choose this path for me or God has abandoned me so I am going to go in a different direction.” Choices like this lead to another silent night, separated from God like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:23-24.
If God could speak directly to us like the days of old in the garden, He might ask, “have you spent any time praying today, singing songs of praise or opening up my Word to connect with me?” Once you experience a close bond with someone, you want to build upon your relationship, nurturing it with caring, effort and time. Unfortunately, the distractions of this world have recently kept me from applying these same principles with God.
Thus, I am wrestling with silence, waiting impatiently for another sign from God like the faithless people in the days of Jesus. Since what I have been doing isn’t working, I need to go back to the basics to break this silence. Nehemiah has established a biblical formula of brokenness, fasting and prayer in chapter 1. When you add vision to this equation, God broke the silence, providing Nehemiah with a plan. If you are like me, sick of silent nights, clueless of the direction God wants you to move in, set time aside each day like Jesus in Mark 1:35 and God willing, you’ll be reconnected spiritually, Psalm 4:1-3.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 