My best days begin with nothing. I wake up, make a cup of coffee, then settle on the floor with a pillow and a journal. I resist checking email and set a timer on my phone for ten minutes. And then, with a few slow, deep breaths, I settle into silence.
Whether it’s accompanied by a quiet request to God tuned to the rhythm of breath, or soundtracked by a collision of wandering thoughts and internal monologues, those ten minutes of silence feel like a small island in a chaotic sea, maybe because they are. There’s no denying we live in a culture of noise. I relish quiet, but it’s rare to find a moment where I’m not reading something, or thinking about something, or scrolling on my phone, filling my head with something. The voices are loud and incessant, and they beg for attention every waking second. So maybe that’s why silence feels so countercultural, so sacred. Away from the noise, I can finally listen.
In one of my favorite passages from the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah experiences the gift of quiet. After a stunning display of God’s power before the prophets of Baal, Elijah is on the run. Scared, angry, and alone, he flees into the wilderness and screams toward the sky: “I have had enough! LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (1Kings 19:4). But in the night, he doesn’t hear fearful judgment; angels come to him, encouraging him to eat and rest before the next journey.
For forty days, he walks, and I can’t help but wonder if those forty days felt like forty years. I wonder if he begged for signs, if his heart pounded at the memory of the altar bursting into flame, or if the shouts of violence haunted his dreams. But then one night, in a cave, at the end of the forty days, God speaks again.
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v.9).
Elijah lists his grievances. The Israelites have rejected their God, the king and queen are corrupt, the prophets have been killed and rejected, and the most heartbreaking complaint of all: “I alone am left” (1Kings 19:10). So, God beckons him outside for the show of his life: a cliff-shattering wind, a churning earthquake, a raging fire. But God doesn’t speak in any of them. Instead, “after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper” (v.12). God doesn’t give Elijah more work to do or tell him to stop moaning. God meets him, repeating the gentle question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v.13).
We don’t lack reasons to grieve or work to do, but what may we hear when we “come away… and rest for a while” (Mark 6:31) and “wait expectantly for Him”? (Psalm 37:7). Like Elijah, we may look around and despair, feeling all alone. God invites us to practice silence, to turn down the noise so we can hear His soft whisper and turn toward Him.
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87 thoughts on "Silence"
I need to practice that ❤️ silence
Amen. Praise God of His Word
What an invitation to turn down the noises and hear him better
This stirred my heart tonight, I felt the Spirit moving me to take more moments during the day to draw close to Him in the quiet. So powerful.
In Isaiah it says, In quietness and confidence is your strength. Which made me think of 1 Peter 3:4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
Choosing to quiet our spirits and rest in Him. A beautiful form of worship.
Silence…my heart craves this and I need to be more intentional in reaching for these moments.
Lyndi, you are wise beyond your years. This is such a good thing…I have learned much from watching you. Praying you have an especially good soak tonight.
I loved this one and could especially relate to the silence ~ this is how I feel when I soak in the tub at night. It’s completely quiet. I don’t get on my phone. Sometimes I just sit and listen ~ so much peace and it does feel sacred to me.
Yes, Becky! This is so good, He never leaves us and just live I’m constantly reminding my own kids these days, He is here for us always, even when our emotions are clouding our ability to see Him more clearly.
❤️
Yes Iike your thinking here. Thanks
@Kate M
Me too, and coming up on my 47th birthday and I finally starting to get comfortable with it. My mind absolutely races with thoughts and ideas and I often use music and podcasts to drown them out. But I have started small and have begun to accept them, let them flow without judgement. Start small, set a timer for a minute or two and see what happens. Ask God to sit with you. You can do it!
I wonder too if God repeating his question wasn’t unlike a parent doing the same to a distressed child. He asks Elijah the first time, and you can imagine he responds “in his feelings”. Then God puts on these displays and shows up not in the crashing and roaring, but in the calm and quiet. And he asks Elijah again. I imagine Elijah responding more calmly, able to share the problem without so much of the heightened emotion. Then God tells him what he’s to do next and, my favorite part, tells him he’s not alone, that there are 7,000 who have not worshipped Baal.
Here’s a great song that has been a beautiful reminder of this: “quiet” by Elevation rhythm
I’m not entirely sure of the significance of God repeating His question to Elijah, “Elijah, what are you doing here?” But it made me wonder. Whenever God repeats something in the Bible it means He wants us to listen. Also the idea that He asked Elijah when I’m sure He already knew full well the answer, makes me think the question was more for Elijah than Himself. I think God wanted Elijah to look inward and realize his purpose instead of being distracted and discouraged by the outside world. The picture He painted for Elijah of chaos and destruction and then meeting Him in the silence I think was a more tangible way of God showing Elijah that He was still God even amidst all the evil Elijah had encountered. Sometimes we need God to show us His power in new and fresh ways that awaken us to our continued purpose.
@L V
Praying, this is so wonderful I can’t wait for all the things Gods going to do in your life and prayers he’ll answer x
@ LV Praying for your process to come to fruition. May you learn to be able to still your mind so that the small whisper of God can be heard.
I also struggle with turning off my mind if it’s not constantly being distracted by noise. I also have adhd and even turning my mind off is hard. I constantly have an audiobook or podcast on, even to go to sleep. Literally, just yesterday I finally tried sitting in silence and meditation. Tried setting my phone across the room and not being on it while I watched a tv show. ACTUALLY WATCH IT?! My day following that morning practice was so freaking great. But it’s something that seems so hard. But I’m so excited for this new journey God is letting me go on. This lesson aligned with my life in a magical way. I feel like God is calling me into a new chapter where I sit in silence and feel comfortable with that. Hopefully this carries over into social settings and I can learn to let others speak without interrupting them. A lot of things I struggle with are ADHD related. I do have a possible therapist I may see so if someone could pray for that process I’d appreciate it.
@KELLY …SO glad that God was able to use me to encourage you!! I will definitely keep you in my prayers and don’t be afraid to reach out!! Always here if you need/want someone to talk to!!
@HANNAH PENNER …Amen!!! ❤️
@SARAH D. …I can totally relate!! I am praying for wisdom, discernment, clarity and peace. God’s GOT your back!! The BEST is yet to come!!
@ ANA VALENZUELA …love the WAIT EXPECTANTLY!!!! Such an important and good reminder!! Thank you!!
@ GINNY KETELES …I also noticed this!! And think it’s important to pay attention to!! We all, at some point, are unwilling to rest and more than willing to flee, but like you said God is GRACIOUS and “He delights to show me mercy and is still a God of justice. I am blessed when I wait for him.” SO good!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Even when still I am not still…even at rest I am not at rest…distractions of everyday keep my mind wondering what if and what now…Be still and let God whisper His word…Don’t be fearful and anxious in the quiet spaces❤️
I am terrified of silence. I have always been terrified of silence. I am ADHD and honestly my thoughts never stop so noise centers me and focuses me. Now I wonder how much I have missed and how many gentle whispers I have missed because I am not willing to sit in silence. I pray that I am able to learn to sit in the silence and listen better.
For the longest time, my anxiety has encouraged me to not be silent. It’s in silence I’ve always feared that my worried thoughts would creep in. Instead, I would surround myself with music, tv shows, or scrolling through my phone to keep my mind preoccupied in other ways. As I’m spending more and more time in my Bible and with God, I’m realizing silence isn’t bad. In fact, it has allowed me to rest on His word and in His protection. While I’m with Him in those silent times, I don’t need to fear worried thoughts creeping in, because He always refocuses me. Lord, I pray you continue to ignite the fire in me to spend more time with you in silence. Help me not to fear silence with you, but encourage me to spend time there because you will always keep me safe. Amen!
@ERB, not sure if you will see this. Thank you so much for the advice. I am definitely going to try that today. Silence with God is so important for finding calm during the chaos of life.
I love reading all the comments and how everyone understands them or applies the reading. This is the first reading I’ve followed along with and it won’t be my last. God’s blessings to all of you as you dig into His word and find more ways to be present with Him.
I want to practice this daily time of silence. It is hard with a toddler and a husband working from home, but I know how important it is.
Silence and rest seem to go hand in hand from the verses we read today. Silence induces rest. Noise induces restlessness and activities. In silence we are able to catch that still small voice of God. Among noises, that still small voice is swallowed. King David says in his psalm 131 “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother, my soul is EVEN as a weaned child, KJV”. This indicates he has learnt again and again how to calm and still his own emotions and feelings, notice the word “Surely” here. He is confident. Such powerful way to master our own emotions in order to hear God. May we be able to do the same. Thank you Lord. Teach us daily to hear you better, teach us how to quiet ourselves.
Love this, !!! I love the stillness of sitting in the quiet of early mornings with the word, with no one around, best time of the day.
Wow, I needed this today. I’ve been feeling like Elijah lately and woke up feeling very discouraged, alone and distracted. I’ve been having a hard time getting into the Word, but God graciously brought me to this study today. The cool thing is I’ve been going through an in-depth study of Romans and just studied Romans 10 where Paul references the remnant of Israel that God spoke to Elijah about when He appeared to him on the mountain in 1 Kings 19. This connection was a gentle whisper to remind me that God sees me and He is with me. He has not left my side and will provide the strength I need in every moment. Psalm 37 is an encouragement to trust in the Lord, to delight in Him, commit to Him, be still before Him and to wait patiently for Him. He will do it. He will continue to work all things (the highs and the lows) for my good and most importantly His glory. His ways and thoughts are high above my own, and He knows what is best. I need to trust Him more and not despair. In Him alone, I will find true rest and strength.
Angelica – slow breathing helps me to focus my mind. Repeating a word on the inhale, another on the exhale (peace, surrender….breathe, unrush….the words that come to me differ by day!) helps my mind to settle, the breathing helps my body to settle, jaw relaxes, shoulders loosen…helps my physical body be more receptive to hearing God in the silence. This is a daily challenge. Some days, my mind will cooperate. Other days, not so much. It’s a journey ;-)
Angelica. I have at times been practicing why is called centering prayer. Basically you pick a word to focus on—- Gods presence, Gods love, Gods grace etc. set your timer and then focus on the word. As your mind starts to wander bring it back into focus by saying the word. I’ve started with 15 minutes. There is an ap too called centering prayer. I’ve really enjoyed it
My favorite Peloton rides are the ones where the instructors simply let the music play and don’t speak much. This doesn’t happen often – usually only when Hannah or Christine are teaching. But man, I love it. I have found in this moments of quiet I can tune out everything and simply focus on the task at hand. I definitely struggle with silence – kids home virtually leaning. Husband working from home. My youngest in preschool. It’s a lot. I am thankful for quiet moments.
❤️
@Sarah D,
I empathize with you and feel the same frustrations. However, even in the silence, God is working in our lives and in our hearts. We may not notice it now, but when we look back we can see the traces of His hand in every part of our lives. Even in those moments. God will lead you to the right profession in His timing and in His way. I felt the same way when I was getting ready to graduate from college. I didn’t know if I wanted to pursue the career that I had been studying for 4 years after all. I had no job lined up when I graduated except for a job at a summer camp. By God’s grace I ended up with a job after summer and quickly realized that career I had studied for wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. I realized later that I really wanted to be a teacher and God provided in that in His time. It was a wild path and there were many risks that were taken and moments of trust that had to be taken, but I am here teaching! I’m not exactly where I want to be still, but I need to trust that God will bring me there if I let Him control my path and not my own desires. I encourage you Sarah (and myself) to continue to pause and have those quiet moments with the Lord. I notice how much more at peace I am when I allow myself to stop and spend time with Him.
Sometimes I like background noise & other times I appreciate the silence. When it comes to spending time with the Lord, I relish in the silence so I can focus on Him & His message to me.
I like the idea of putting 10 mins on my phone, to have a time of silence or even try 5 mins at first. It is hard foe me as my races, but I need to have this time and then time for my bible reading.
If I’m honest, I struggle with this. I feel like I’m doing all the “right” things…reading my Bible, praying, surrendering my will to God. And yet I still don’t hear anything. The future after I graduate college is a literal blank slate…and that worries me. I don’t even know what to look for when looking for jobs, since I’m not sure if I want to pursue a career in my major anymore. Quite the dilemma. I wish God just told me what I need to do…but I automatically know that’s not how it works. It wouldn’t be a relationship if I didn’t have to trust him, every single moment. He wants me to trust him, with everything. That’s all I’ve heard, is just to trust. Continually trust. Even when I have no clue what to do. It’s honestly frustrating, because I want to know it all. But I know if I did know all, I would probably be even more overwhelmed. I need him. And even though I have no idea what the future holds, I have to trust that he will provide, just as he has in the past. He never fails. Love you SRT sisters!
Some days silence is no problems. I live by myself, but I live in an apartment and right now there are times when it is real quiet, like right now (9:55 am CST), other times when even though I don’t have any noise in my apartment it is noisy. My neighbors are nice but above me there is a child who likes to run around and I can hear when the child does. Next to me are a couple of young men who sometimes play there music a little loud. I cherish the moments like right now because after raising to sons and living in apartments most of my adult life, silence is wonderful. I love to just sit and let the Lord speak to me in different ways.
God bless you my SRT sisters.
“What are you doing here, Elijah?” That simple question brought tears to my eyes. A loving father, conversing with a son who had just raged against him.
The concept of silence has always been a perplexing one for me. I have assumed that meant my mind needed to be empty. Still. Which is nearly impossible to achieve. But after reading this devotional I realize it may be the exact opposite. He is only asking the simplest things – literal silence. And there, he will meet me.
So many of us love the time of sunrise with the Lord. I have just discovered the blessing of this in the past few years. I am not a morning person at all but on days I do manage to catch a sunrise it is awesome. While the world is silent and it’s just me and the Lord. Silence and anticipation.
When I’m home alone during the day my house is usually silent, although I sometimes will play music. But I got to thinking that my head is not in a place of silence. I’m thinking about my to-do list and other things, and when I sit down, I read. This has challenged me to sit down and simply be quiet, to silence the thoughts, and to seek to listen to the Lord’s still small voice.
One of my favorite times is early in the morning in the rocking chair all curled up.
Or when I’m driving out in the countryside and there is no one but God and I for hours.
Or walking in the soft falling snowflakes alone.
Or on my knees in surrender to our Lord.
Silence.
I love that 10 minutes of silence. I will also do this. ❤️ be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him
I’m so blessed to live in the country— from a small community— I love the sounds of nature— the silence of an occasional snow fall. The beauty and silence the first sunrise after an ice storm—- porch time watching leaves fall in the fall. Every season has its quiet beauty— just as the seasons of our lives— what a great God we have!!
I love my house to be quiet. I relish in it. I had to give my son medicine in the middle of the night when he was younger. Once awake, 2am, I had a hard time falling back to sleep. After years of not sleeping well, I tend to sleep in. I have noticed how many of you women get up before the sun. I long to do that. I’m going to try and make it a priority. To spend time watching God’s wonder in the rising sun. To be with Him. I’m excited for the first time in my life to rise early!
Other than a text message to my boss, maybe a coworker or my good (the Best) friend (Who also follows SRT) I refrain from texting, checking in email or Instagram, news etc. My quiet time with Jesus is priority. My mornings consist of getting ready quickly for work while my coffee is brewing and then settle in into silence. (Taking a deep breath) I cherish these times.
Thank you for your responses today, I blessed and refreshed to know there are others who love Jesus so much, just like Elijah was blessed to know about the 7,000. But most of all it’s good to hear your declaration of love for the Lord.
@Wendelyn Thank you for sharing the song. Lyrics are spot on and such a reminder to me “the posture of quietness” I need.
❤️
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night , and more so as I have aged. I can say it’s for no good reason, but if I am lying there wide awake, it is very quiet. The Lord has used some of those times for prayer and rest in His presence. I try to take advantage of the stillness of the night , that is different from finding stillness in the day.
@Rachel love that “sometimes you just need a nap and a snack” totally something I’m going to be working on when I feel overwhelmed.
This also reminds me of the song “Hurry up and Wait” by MercyMe. We’re always trying to hard to get somewhere or accomplish something, but in reality we’re just trying to fill a void that the Lord would love to enter on a daily basis.
I’ve always been one who needs space to retreat to. Silence never used to bother me. But now I find that silence is louder than all the noise that could be around me, or that silence feels uncomfortable so let’s find something to say or do to fill it. But my soul is longing for silence. For time to just rest, be still, and hear what God would say to me. So here I am, like Elijah, crying out to God that I’m done! My own strength is depleted, but that’s good because in my weakness, His strength is perfected. That is where I need to be living from.
Silence in the presence of My Savior, My King, My Friend, And My God!
I struggle finding the silence. My minds seems to continue to run even when I try to shut it off. It is work daily to seek that silence.
This year I decided to make time for priorities, so I’ve started waking up at 4am and so I can read my study in the silence, and not rush. I’ve deleted my social media apps off my phone as well, so I can’t get distracted by the chaos that’s so easy to get caught up in. My morning silence and time with Jesus really starts my day off with peace.
Thank you for the song suggestion. This was a blessing for me today. Thank you and may God bless you today as well.
Two things stood out/reminded me:
1. The song Turn Down the Music by Shane & Shane. Going to play this over breakfast today.
2. In the margins of the Kings 19 passage I have written “sometimes you just need a nap and a snack”. Often we get swept up in the worry/hustle/running from whatever storm is happening in life and God took him out to the wilderness where he could rest, find refuge, & get fueled physically and spiritually for the next leg of his journey – for what God was sending him to do.
I was getting ready for my busy, busy day today when I sat down and read this lesson. I don’t have time for a quiet time here at home this morning but I have to drive for 20 minutes. It’s snowing this morning, I think I’ll take our country backroads to my appointment instead of the busy highway. I have time to drive slower, look around me, and enjoy the quiet snowy morning God has blessed me with. Thank you for the lesson of silence.
I am blessed when I sit quietly and wait on the Lord. Wait to hear His sweet soft voice in the air. Oh how I love our quiet time together Father. Just you and me! Thank you Lord for meeting me right where I am everyday!
Thanks for the reference to Isaiah 30, ERB. I noticed in verse 15, that they were unwilling to rest and said, No! We will flee on horses. How often, instead of waiting and resting, I come up with my own silly efforts to save myself. Thankfully, in verse 18, the Lord is still gracious to me. He delights to show me mercy and is still a God of justice. I am blessed when I wait for him.
There is a by Brian Courtney Wilson called Noise. The lyrics speaks so clearly that we can hear God, now that noise is gone. Thank you God for the beauty of silence.
https://youtu.be/7Fe0YXD2-Ow
@Churchmouse loved this: “The silence enhances the awareness of His presence.” Amen!!
@Kelly, I also really struggled with this (still do sometimes) …quieting my mind seemed impossible!! But a therapist suggested that I practice deep breathing, concentrating only on my breath. Deeply inhale through nose 4seconds. Hold breath 7seconds. Breathe out through mouth 8seconds. Do this pattern for 10min each day. Concentrate just on the breathing and counting!! It’s hard, and it took me like 7days to successfully do this. When the deep breathing pattern becomes easier, more like second nature and you’re not having to concentrate so hard on the counting/breathing.. your mind will start to wander/get flooded (at least mine did) find a word, any word: peace, light, hope, silence, calm, God… a word that works for you, and as you’re counting/breathing repeat this word. Push ALL other things OUT and just keep repeating this one word over and over again while you’re breathing. It takes determination and practice but you WILL find that your mind stops and becomes silent. I have been practicing this for over 10years now and often find my body deep breathing and repeating my word: peace ..on its own, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed …deep breathing has become a habit and something my body goes to when it needs refuge from itself. I will pray for you and pray that your mind finds peace and embraces silence. It’s a hard discipline but I KNOW that because you’re crying out to God, that He will bless you with it!!! You got this sister!!
My favorite verse today was 1 Kings 19:12 …but I have to say that God was convicting me to read not only the highlighted passages but also the entire chapters…getting the history and reading those verses in context really made a huge difference and had a major impact!! Isaiah 30 and Habakkuk 2 (as well as Isaiah 19) are AWESOME and super relevant to today… will definitely be reading them again so I can absorb it more… Many blessings on each of your beautiful ladies!!
I will find silence today, in the midst of being busy, stressed, consumed by the pull of each day. I often distract myself with more noise—phone, tv, food, so that I can get through. Today I’ll recognize these moments and seek silence. Thankful for this today Lord.
“The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.””
Exodus 14:14 NASB1995
https://www.bible.com/100/exo.14.14.nasb1995
Jo I have struggled with this too. I have begged God to just silent my mind for a moment! I found the Calm app and tried it out. There is a “Daily Calm” and I have found success… if even for just a breath or two… in shutting out the world. It gives lots of tips on how to do it that have been helpful. It is a daily battle but I use the app and turn my mind toward God and by golly and can get just a few minutes of quiet in my mind. ;-)
Oh, I love this so much! I am a quiet person. I am comfortable with silence and have always found such comfort in knowing that Jesus, too, unapologetically craved quiet.
I love this Elijah passage, too. The repeated “What are you doing here, Elijah?” really jumped out at me. I wonder how my actions would be different if I heard God’s voice asking me that question at various points in my day?
It’s reassuring to know that even Elijah curled up and cried out to God! How many times in my life I have done that. And looking back, I see God has brought me through all those times. We need the silence to be ourselves with God. So we can hear God’s voice alone.
@door holder, thank you for sharing your insights this day. A great reminder, that “Here in the love of Christ I stand.”
After I read the devotional I always look for your words of wisdom. Your title provokes a picture of a humble thoughtful person with much wisdom. Thank you CHURCHMOUSE for your faithfulness.
El Shaddai. Glory to your name.
Lord i thank you
Silence is hard for me to find. Not from outside noise but from my own mind. I try meditating and breathing but my mind continues to go nonstop on anything and everything. Does anyone have tips to help me empty my thoughts and be silent before God, not worrying about everything around me?
In Elijah’s story, I think of him traveling alone with his own thoughts and fears for forty long days. He has worked himself into a tizzy and is in utter despair over the way his world has gone. Finally, he obeys a voice that asks him to go stand in the LORD’s presence. When he is actively straining to hear the word of the LORD is when God asks him to do the hard thing–to return the way he came, to anoint a new king and prophet. But God encourages Elijah and refutes his fear that he is all alone–no, instead, God has saved a remnant of Israel 7,000 strong that never turned to idol worship. Alone in my own thoughts, I, too, can work myself up into thinking of all the mistakes I’ve made, how the situation can never be made right, and that I’m possibly the only one still standing firm in my beliefs. BUT NO! When I actually silence my mind and allow God to speak to me through His Word…that is when He calms and comforts, reassures and strengthens my soul.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
I just realized that silence requires my trust and faith in God. And that is exactly where His presence is, where He can be found.
I crave silence. In a small ranch 3 bed home with 6 children, silence is a rare occurrence. His gift of a silent few moments is sweeter than honey. I wonder what Elijah’s self talk was like during his silence? After the angel came?
Amen. Amen. Hallelujah.
Thank you for this reminder, I awaken daily and cherish my solitude before the sun comes up I invite God’s in, write, read scripture in preparation of my day. I love being awoken and spending time with Him, in preparation of my time on Cape Cod.
The powerful, beautiful, peace of God. In silence, our souls hear and respond.
❤️
Such a great tip! Thanks for sharing!!
I can’t wait to use this on my kid “what are you doing here?” Is about to become a very popular question in my home.
It’s a simple delight to look out my window and watch as God brings His sun up. In the silence of our home I feel His presence as I look at His creation. The view changes with the seasons but what a comfort to know our God doesn’t change. Great is His faithfulness. The silence enhances the awareness of His presence. He quiets and calms my soul as I listen for His still small voice. What a precious time of communion we have.
Jo, I often struggle with silencing my mind as well. I take slow deep breaths and pray, “Holy Spirit you are welcome here. Calm my mind and help me rest in you.”
Wow i am blown away at how the Lord encouraged Elijah. We truly worship an AWESOME God!!
When I am in a physically silent place my mind fills up the silence with endless monologue, often talking to God but how do I silence my mind in order to listen?! I genuinely don’t know!
I am someone who has always been more of a shy extrovert but I feel so at peace with solitude and silence when I am with God.
Timely Word.