One of the first times I observed Lent was through logging out of Facebook for forty days. Imagine the context: Facebook was a novelty; it was only available to college students. When my husband and I met nearly ten years after my first foray into practicing Lent, he made an astute observation about my habits: I didn’t like silence. In the car, during my quiet time, while working out, no matter what I was doing, I wanted background noise. At first, I defended my habits. After all, what’s the problem with listening to worship music or learning through podcasts?
However, as I began to consider his observation, a deeper truth surfaced. I felt afraid of what might come to my heart and mind from years of unprocessed grief and trauma. The disdain for silence wasn’t the only place this showed up; it also manifested through an endless need to keep a full schedule, all in the name of serving Jesus.
I began to make small changes, such as a quiet car ride or Bible study without worship music. And now, as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, emails, and other online distractions vie for my attention, I check in with myself and take breaks. With three children and a home to manage, I prayerfully consider commitments so I don’t overextend myself.
Even as I write this devotion, I have quiet piano worship music playing, so some habits die hard. Just last week, I sat down to make a list of my commitments and ask the Lord, “What needs to stay? What needs to go?” There is no arrival at perfection in the pursuit of sitting with God. There is only progress and a way forward with Him. Filling the silence in our lives with constant white noise only stifles our ability to hear from the Holy Spirit, yet isn’t this what we most yearn for?
The psalmist wrote in Psalm 62:1, “I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” The ESV states it this way: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.”
Would I have admitted years ago that I needed to simply sit and be with the Lord? No. But God, in His tenderness, helped me to see how I am prone to quench the Spirit (1Thessalonians 5:19). Oftentimes, when in distress, we will run away from the root issue. The psalmist shows us how to instead run to the Father—to pour out our hearts before Him and see Him as our true refuge and strength (Psalm 62:8).
So, friend, do you have an unmet need for silence with Him? A time in which you need to pour out your heart before Him? You won’t regret it. The most beautiful paradox in the Christian life is that while Jesus satisfies, there is always a deep longing for more of Him. Sit in silence with Him, and let Him speak to you. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you hear.
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80 thoughts on "Psalms 59–64"
So good.
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Yes this is something i struggle with too! Thank you once again God for bringing it to my attention!
So much truth and great reminders here♡ thank you for this message. Lord, help me to sit in silence more with you♡ amen
Man. This is confirmation. I’m behind on the reading but the Lord brought to my attention the distraction of busyness that really is a cover up for anxiety, fear, and self-doubt. Thank you Holy Spirit for conviction and confirmation.
I can fully admit I hate silence. There’s always someone or something in the background. I need to commit a few minutes a day to silence with God.
This hit home. I gave up FB for lent but have been filling it in with other things like reading books, podcasts, ect. This week I want to aim for more true quiet time and time with the Lord.
Amen
“While Jesus satisfies, there is always a deep longing for more of Him.”
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Psalm 63:3
God is so good.
This is one of my favorite Psalms and I committed it to memory several years ago but feel like I need to re commit it to memory.
Amen
“For God alone my soul waits in silence” – needed to hear this today.
Same!
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Silence is so hard for me.
Wow, this really convicted me. I’m the same way – always need a podcast or music going. Never realized I might be drowning out God’s voice in the process. Starting today, I’m going to try driving in silence at least once this week. Also, speaking of being intentional with our time, I’ve been using planningbirthday.com to organize family celebrations so I have more margin for what really matters – like these quiet moments with the Lord. Thank you for this reminder, Jessica!
Highly highly recommend the song QUIET – Acoustic by Hillside recordings & Diana Trout, I came across it a few months ago and took it’s message as a push to find more silence with the Lord in my life. Like others, I am off social media for lent and finding it so refreshing to not have that constant noise at my fingertips, seeking to have influence over my thoughts and feelings and actions.
Thank you all for generously remembering me in your prayers for my appointment today. Praise the Lord, the appointment itself went well – we will continue to wait a few weeks for some results.
needed this today, going to take the suggestion of many of the sisters and set a timer for sitting in silence. this close to bedtime, is a risk, might just fall asleep lol
Today I decided to read aloud (and record my reading). Thank you, Lord that the Shes spoke of reading The Word out loud. It has been amazing hearing myself, multiple times, say “God, you are my God.” Rather than a reminder to Him, it has been a reminder to me!!
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I love this and needed it! Thank you so much for sharing, Jessica!
I really love silence. I chuckled a bit at Jessica’s words because my husband always has to have noise or distractions. I don’t even like the stove fan on when I’m cooking – to me white noise is so too loud. A few years back as my health failing, one symptom I had was insomnia and for months I was only sleeping about 4 hours a night. There was so much silence and as completely exhausted as I was, I did come to appreciate the silence so much. I had no desire for back ground noise of any kind in the dark,long wee hours of the night. I have most of Psalm 63 underlined, circled, and margin notes with my thoughts in those dark days….”The only one that can truly satisfy is God.” “Praise for God faithfulness in my life through health challenges.” “This is for my long, sleepless nights and spending sweet time with my Jesus.” “May my soul always cling.” It brings me to tears reflecting back on that time because oh my, those were very hard days but the silence gave space to just really slow my mind down and focus on reading/studying scripture. Prior to that I don’t think I was overdoing it with noise or distraction. However I do think just regularly keeping a mostly typical busy schedule and being fairly good at multi tasking is actually not the ideal pace for ones day and we normalize it. My experience during that time forced me to pare things down and simplfy my tasks as mentally I just couldn’t divide my focus. In the silence of the night, I had an increased desire to know the Lord more and really value the quietness and that rhythm has stayed with me. And so now, the silence is really something I look forward to. These days we live in have the noise of the world everywhere; music, news, social media, noise of every kind is at our fingertips and it can wreck havoc with the ways in which God actually intended us to order our days and also what we give space to in our minds. We would do well to find ways turn off the noise and be fully present to rest in the Lord. I appreciated this reminder today.
The passsage that I really love in today’s reading is Psalm 59:16-17 which I often use as a framework for my morning prayer time or encouragement for a new day. We enter the gift of a new day in the Lord’s strength, not our own. He is our fortess, our refuge no matter what may come and He is worthy of our praise.
“But I will sing of your strength and will joyfully proclaim your faithful love in the morning. For you have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. To you, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold—
my faithful God.” Psalm 59:16-17
Blessings on your day SRT sisters.❤️
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I am giving up social media for lent, and it has been really helpful. It has helped me be more present, compare myself less and have less anxiety.
good for you Jennifer! I wonder if anyone in your family..your 2 girls or husband would notice if you didn’t tell them?! I think we could all set our phones down more, not just social media. And look around, pay attention to God moments he has for us!
I am the type of person as well who always needs background noise. I need to try stopping my habit with background noises and really give time during bible study to let the Holy Spirit talk to me.
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Amen, dear Jessica!
We are admonished.
Turn up the quiet.
He wants the chance.
Speak Father.
Selah
Thank you, JESSICA, for sharing your aversion to silence and the readons behind it. Lots to think about! ❤
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“There is no arrival at perfection in the pursuit of sitting with God. There is only progress and a way forward with Him. Filling the silence in our lives with constant white noise only stifles our ability to hear from the Holy Spirit, yet isn’t this what we most yearn for?
Sit in silence with Him, and let Him speak to you. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you hear.”
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I did a study several years ago that included an activity:
15 minutes a day of sitting in silence for 30 days. That was one of the hardest things – not because I don’t like silence, rather it was because I could not turn my mind off. I might do that again just to see what progress I have made since being here and more fully seeking Him on a daily basis.
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I have a print I picked up at a thrift store years ag. It says, “Silence is a talent as greatly to be cherished as that othet asset the gift of speech…” and had the reference- Proverbs 10:19b which says: “he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
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Instead of a SONG SHARE today, I leave with this challenge: find a quiet place (inside or outside) and sit in silence for 5 minutes (set a timer on your phone so you’re not watching a clock). Turn off inner thoughts and just relish the silence. Harder than it seems!
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
I LOVE silence!! It’s the main reason I get up early (though I do exercise to videos). I enjoy the start of my quiet time in silence, no background music, nothing! AND weirdly I even enjoy time all-by-myself! HOWEVER, this morning my daughter started joining me for quiet-time, 30 minutes into my quiet time so I still enjoyed “quiet-time” OUT of time and have to get to work. Good morning sweet She’s and Happy Thursday!
Same. ❤ How sweet that Allysa joins you in the quiet!
Me too! Before I had my kiddo, I hated getting up early, but I had a lot of quiet/alone time in the car, during the evenings, over the weekends. Now, I cherish and need to wake before everyone else, so i can have some quiet time to pray, be myself, and process whatever is going on in my life. So grateful that I’ve been able to make this conversion! I feel like it helps me get grounded for the wild work days that lay ahead. I work at a school, so lots of kids in crisis, needy parents, burnt out teachers, etc.
It’s like I’m looking at a mirror! Even down to working at a school! Life is just…so…busy! Praying for both of us to find meaningful connections with God this week during our quiet times so we may be ready to support our schools/ teachers, and families.
Me too!
Sitting in silence with God.
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God has over the past months been speaking to me about this. Now I find that I often stop myself from turning on the music or listening to a podcast while doing things. I try to be quiet so that I can give God an opportunity to speak to me, while I listen.
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I must admit, it’s not an easy thing to do. Someone once challenged me to just sit quietly when coming to God in prayer. Wait 5 or 10 minutes without saying a word…I’ll tell you what- it’s most uncomfortable, and it’s not that easy to do! – – Think about it, if you’re sitting with someone and all of a sudden no one is talking, what’s the first thing we want to do? Talk! Why? Because it’s uncomfortable to sit in silence. But some times, it is so much needed.
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“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” Psalm 62:1
…so I say to myself, “shush, stop talking, listen!”
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Happy Thursday She’s – so glad to be here with you all! ❤️
I am just now reading your comment. Similar story in mine. ❤
Yes, I too, always have Christian music on or preaching programs via radio going non-stop. Until night, at dinner-it goes off! To then turning the TV on! My husband often is like- turn off all the stuff you have going! He can’t think with the white noise or 2 things at once, lol.
I couple of years ago we were studying “hearing from God” and I remember us saying we don’t hear from him because we don’t listen. Simple, but true. Someone (I think Kelly) said to set a timer for 3 minutes and try to keep your mind totally still and quiet! Seems easy, yet so challenging!! But that has always stuck with me…silence to hear God speak! We often pray, then done. Never to sit and even see if God wants to respond, redirect, admonish, convict…! What is he saying to us? Are we just spending time at his feet. Stopping our Martha propensities? Or serving the Lord so much that we can’t relax in his arms?
Having chronic pain gives me lots of slow time in my life, me and the couch, the couch and I. But I can easily keep the phone with all its access to anything in front of me. Or even a once lovely thought of a good book to read. I rarely just lay with God. I do love nature though, sitting on the porch and hearing the cardinals chirping and singing and the palms rustling in the breeze. Oh the ongoing sorting out of our time!
Lord help us, be still and quiet. How else will we hear you speaking to us. You love to spend time with us, in a world more vocal and loud than ever- we need you. Every hour we need you. Our one defense, our righteousness..oh God, we need you. May we give you our troubles, burdens, and anxiety and take your yoke. Let us surrender our will to You. Let us surrender our busyness to you Father God. We want an ever growing relationship with you, yet we rarely give you more than a little span in the morning bible study time. Change and mold us Lord, prune us.
I used to admonish my clients that would come in for training a few times a week and they would be frustrated that they weren’t getting the body they desired from the workouts. I would say, um, you come in 3 days a week, but there’s 7 days in the week. You are working out only 12 days in the 30 days of the month. What are you doing those other days, anything? Plus what are you eating? Does it align with what you are trying to achieve? If you want results you have to put it all together in perspective.
Same with God. Is he a priority? Are you doing things that align with that? Are you omitting things that don’t help your goal? There are things that we call disciplines in our walk of faith just as disciplines with getting in shape. Reading the word, prayer, memorizing and meditation, worship and praise, fasting. Time. It’s not easy, but if it is a priority to be with God…or not even priority, but a WANT to, eagerness to seek him and learn his ways, hear his heart, grow and trust. It’s SO good, and you want more and more. We need our daily bread (nutrients and nourishment from Him) and the daily, living water! Jesus is our thirst quencher! And we have the Holy Spirit living in us, lets not shove him into a dark corner in our being. We need to walk daily with Him in the forefront! Seeing what He has for us- divine moments? Stopping to help someone. To smile and encourage someone? Remember the days of conversation with strangers in lobbies, or stores? Not anymore..we barely acknowledge the cashiers! The earpods are always in! ugh. Preaching to the choir!
Great reflections! ❤
Today’s devotional really resonated with me. One thing I learned while we were living at my mother-in-law’s house during our rebuild was how much I missed silence. Now that we’ve moved into our new house, I’ve noticed that I tend to keep some kind of background noise on—whether it’s music or the TV. What Jessica mentions in her devotional reminded me of that, and it’s something I’ve been working on.
I’ve been very intentional in the mornings when I do my devotional, and even throughout the day when I feel the need to connect with God, to simply sit in pure silence. I’ve found that it has become a practice that brings me calmness and peace—even if it’s only for a few seconds. Sometimes I’ll read a verse quietly in my head. I don’t even want to hear my own voice; I just want to sit with the words and the stillness.
It’s a small practice, but one that I believe we can all benefit from.
There is a beautiful phrase that speaks to me perfectly. It is from a Catholic author named Matthew Kelly who uses the phrase” to sit in the classroom of silence.”
Oh I love this.
I resonate with the grief that overwhelms jn the silence. The loss of a life that was dreamed and hoped for, but never came to be… and the loss of loved ones in my life that have passed on. It’s easy to be distracted, and even tho grief counseling has been done. My heart is still broken and tired of sitting in the sad.
My dear sister Laura, I am so sorry to hear of your broken and sad heart. I would encourage you to try and not dwell on all of the “what if’s” or “only if’s”. That’s where the evil one would like you to permanently “park”. He is robbing you of your joy of the present. Try instead to think on things that are true, honorable, pure and lovely (Philippians 4:8) and all of the blessings and answers to prayer that God has given. I know it’s easier said than done, praying for you this morning.❤️
I am so disappointed to read such an unbiblical devotion from this company. I would not have thought you guys would permit a charismatic message that twists scripture to be printed on your website. Psalm 62 says he’s waiting on the Lord for salvation, not to hear God’s voice in his heart. Furthermore, we quench the Spirit by ignoring his convictions against sin, not by refusing to “sit in silence and hear from the Lord” directly. Please vet your writers and their devotions better. Nowhere in the Bible does it state that we should sit in silence daily and wait to personally hear from God, absolutely nowhere.
I’ve heard it said by many biblical scholars that translation of Hebrew is complicated. Without knowing what the original text said we can trust that perhaps the words originally used lend themselves to *both* translations of the word. We all want the same thing- deeper relationship with God so we can live more like Jesus. May grace and peace be with you today, Chelsea!
Chelsea, I am so sorry you feel this way. I personally did not for a second feel that it was a charismatic message (and I’m from a background of independent, fundamental baptist churches).
I think the main point Jessica is trying to get across is that we sometimes let the “noise” of the world drown out the voice of the Lord, and if we practice silence we are more apt to hear the Spirit speaking. I hope this helps clarify. Have a blessed day. ❤️
Good morning Chelsea. I think she may have meant it as a figure of speech. If you notice, before she lists the song, she mentions that noise can sometimes make it harder for us to hear from the Spirit. Scripture also has several passages that encourage sitting quietly and waiting on God so we can experience a closer relationship with Him, be attentive to His guidance, and remove distractions.
Chelsea, I read this devotion twice and she never said to sit in silence daily. I think you need to go back and reread the devotion. Also, as someone who grew up in a Baptist church and has been in a charismatic church, this isn’t a devotion based on that at all.
I feel like I am a part of the last generation that was not fully raised with social media. I didn’t think I let it rule my life until it came time to give up something for Lent. I realized TikTok was the only thing I truly questioned if I could live without. As my Pastor says, “We sacrifice what we love for what we love more.” I don’t love anything more than God, so I’ve given it up for Lent. I find myself sitting in silence more often and it’s just what I need!
I started being silent first, then reading my Bible or Bible study. It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit guides me through the word of God. I feel like the silence prepares my heart and mind.
Thank you for sharing your practice with us. You motivated me to do the same.
Thank you for this devotional, Jessica Mathisen.
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My dh and I are opposite of Jessica and her husband – mine always has at least 1 and sometimes multiple things playing at once while I usually have total silence.
Hard question, painful answer – am I listening to God in the silence, or is my mind distracted on the next thing on my endless list? :/
Her questions of what needs to go and what needs to stay – scary to consider, and applies to much more than just commitments.
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LAUREN M praying you will be filled with peace rather than fear for today’s appointment
MIRIAM LEE ❤️
GINA GLENNON great idea!
WENDY B thank you for sharing yesterday’s beautiful prayer
RHONDA J praying for your requests. Good call on CEE GEE, conqueror
DANA F praying ❤️
TRACI GENDRON ❤️
LANIE H ❤️ I read an article this morning on the church in Iran, and one statement that really got my attention:
“The Iranian church does not ask the global body for rescue, they ask for prayer – that they would remain faithful.”
FOSTER MAMA & KIRA H ❤️ praying for these marriages of friend and SIL
AMY LAFOLLETTE praying for your family
DEBBY ❤️ welcome, sister!
TINA ❤️
CEE GEE ❤️
MERCY ❤️
Thank you for the update! I was thinking of ‘broken leg’ when I said my morning prayer. ❤
ahh, so beautiful, and so God, because as I was praying for them I felt specifically a prayer for endurance and holding firm, not rescue..
I love Psalm 62:1 – I like how Bible Hub explains the Hebrew word for rest in this passage. It states that rest denotes a purposeful quietness – a still expectant hush that looks to God.
Amen
Silence can often equal loneliness for me. I’ve been working on that and trying to really embrace quiet.
Maybe a shift from loneliness to alone? Because it may just be you but you are never truly alone.
“Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him.God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8
I love the Psalms because the message is consistent. God is our refuge. God is where we can find help. God never has a bad day, his door is always open and He alone has the solution to all.our problems.
Libby K, I feel the same way and I don’t like it. Today, when I leave home, I’m going to try to go with 10 minutes of silence while I ride in the car. I hope God will show up.
Amen
Human help is worthless. With God we will perform valiantly. Jumped out at me . How often I rely on others first and not the Lord
“The righteous one rejoices in the Lord
and takes refuge in him;
all those who are upright in heart
will offer praise” (Ps. 64:10).
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Thank You, Lord, for making me righteous in Jesus! May I continually praise Your Name.
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Ladies, would you please pray for my mom today. She is struggling in her grief over my step-dad’s death. Then today, she has to go to the bank to find out why they changed their joint account into an “estate” account and have denied paying out 2 automatic payments this week. I’m hoping it is a quick and easy correction.
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LAUREN M – Praying for peace as you go to your appointment today.
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MARGARET W – praying the sinus infection had cleared and you are feeling well.
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MARIA B – were you able to connect with your friend about her upcoming marriage?
I highlighted that same verse :)
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Update on bad leg break – slight improvement, but slow going especially with their age
No update on Liz yet.
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Praying for your mom as she continues her grief journey, and especially with banking issue – that it would be resolved today.
Praying for your Mom!
So sorry for the extra (and confusing!) administrative frustrations that are adding to your mom’s grief. Will pray that it all gets resolved quickly and that Jesus will soothe her aching heart (and for you as you walk this road with her). ❤️
I am sorry to hear that your mom is still struggling with her loss, and to complicate and make matters worse – the problems with the bank. Praying for your mom today. ❤️
Oh, Kelly, bless her heart! I hope the meeting went well and things were clarified. Praying your mom has sweet, peaceful rest tonight. ❤
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A funny story!
My granddaughter, was sent to me one evening because she was disrespectful to her parents. She was stripped of all her social media connections ie phone, i- pad, school laptop.. literally she had no way of connecting with her friends. I was instructed NOT to lend or give her my phone!
She stomped, she moaned, she spat mild venom, all the way home to my house, I tried to reassure her that hanging out with Nan, would be fun, we could bake, do puzzles, chat.. watch her favourite movie, I laugh out loud as I see that cute 12 year old face, screw up at all my suggestions.
She stomped off up to her room, and sat on the bed, bemoaning the fact that her friends don’t get this sort of punishment!
Can you believe it My home a punishment?
I actually had never thought of this ‘give parents a breather’ thing like that! I digress..
I tell you this for smiles, but here’s the thing, the following morning, my grand refused to go to school, why? Because there would be conversations going on at school that she would not be able to join in as she had no contact with ‘her’ outside world.. her social media! Sad!
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Letting go of those things we now feel are our life line is hard. I remember it took forever for me to get a mobile phone because I did not want to know what people were doing every minute of everyday.. I succumbed eventually..but I do monitor my usage on social media.
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My grands world, did not have silence in it. It was overly noisy, to the point where she believed in her own near teen voice, “.. my life is over..”
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BUT GOD..
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I am so very thankful that the noise of this world is not the be-all and end-all of my life. Oh, it has been, but as I approached the autumn of my life, (and perhaps deafness too:)), I appreciate more the silences in which I can breathe and touch base with God.
I find that the peace in the silence is beautiful, calming and a special time.
What a blessing it is to be at this stage of my life, having lived a varied and ‘I may have done it my way’ kind of life, I now realise in wonderment, what that was all about, rushing to get here or there and yet I still arrived at this point, could I have done things differently? Sure! But I shall not live in regret, that is over, done, in the past.
Thankful, so very thankful for God’s forgiveness and grace, mercy and love over my life, and as I live these autumn days of my life in the silences and communion with Father God, that longed for peace I so chased seemed to have finally found and caught up with me..
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Praise be to God.
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It is well, because of God..
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Amen.
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Happy Thursday my dears..hopeful your day is as blessed as you are so much a blessing to me.
With much love and gratitude for you..❤️
Ack! Similar here the other day with kids that wanted to come over, only to start campaigning to go places their parents wouldn’t take them – wasted effort on the kids’ part. Your granddaughter and all these teens and tweens – praying that social media exposure would be monitored and limited, and they realize that the real world is right where they are.
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thought of you today when I read the But God psalm 64:7
Oh yes Jessica to be still and at rest with God is not an easy spiritual discipline for me either. I have on the few times I’ve done it been truly blessed. A great reminder to slow done and enjoy the refuge God provides.
I too need to work on spending time in silence with God!
Amen!
Like others have mentioned, reading through these wonderful chapters all at once is a challenge. The reminder from today’s devotion that each one is designed to show us how to run to the Father with our trials or joys was helpful. When I remember that they were written over a long period of time, from different circumstances in the lives of the authors, it helps a bit with being overwhelmed at reading all together during one season.
So today, and everyday, let me lips glorify You, for Your love is better than life! Amen.
I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.
May it always be so Lord. Amen ❤️
Well, this was a very convicting devotional. I, like Jessica, tend to fill the silence with Christian music and podcasts. God has definitely called me to more silence this Lent, but I’ve somewhat resisted it, justifying it because my podcasts and things focus on spiritual, godly matters.
God definitely is speaking to me loud and clear through Psalm 62 (one of my favorites) and calling me back into the quiet refuge of His presence. Thank you for this.