I heard my daughter singing a line from one of Lamboginny’s songs, so I thought to myself, “let me find it on YouTube and play it for her.” Well, mama life happened, and a few hours (and tons of chores) passed between typing in the song on YouTube and clicking on the video.

Anyways, I took up the device and saw the search I started a few hours earlier, so I clicked on the song and began listening.

Big dreams silent and focus

As I watched the video, my eyes followed the words on the screen. It was then that a line jumped out at me. “…big dreams, silent and focus.” It hit me: silence is important. Yes, we want to share our ideas and dreams with others. Yes, we want to tell others about our plans. Yes, we want to get others on board, find out their opinions, and get their support, but sometimes silence is precious.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth”. (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

Sometimes, silence and being still help us to keep focused as we zoom in on our plans, place them before the Lord, and work at them without the distractions of others.

As I ruminated on the thought, “…big dreams silent and focus”, I remembered that even God kept silent in the Bible.

Let’s look at a few instances in the Bible where silence played a significant role.

Three Bible Stories About Silence

I imagine there are many stories about silence in the Bible, but today I’ll focus on these three.

1. God was silent for many years before Jesus came on the scene.
2. Hannah prayed silently as she asked the Lord to bless her with a child.
3. God was silent after King Saul lost His favor.

1. God Went Silent For Many Years

The first scenario that popped into my mind as I listened to the first stanza of God Is Not Done, was the years of silence between Malachi and Matthew. God went silent for four hundred years. That was no brief moment of silence because it took four centuries. But do you know what happened after that period of silence? You’ve probably guessed it by now. The Messiah came on the scene.

This is no small feat! Centuries of prophecies were fulfilled when Jesus came on the scene. Four hundred years of silence, then bam, the One who would save the people from their sins was revealed to humankind. Four centuries of not hearing from God through a prophet then bam, John the Baptist and Jesus showed up and started teaching, preaching, baptizing, and performing miracles. Four hundred years of not hearing a word from God, and then the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NIV)

God showed up after the silence

People waited for a prophet to tell them what message God had for them, but instead of sending a messenger, He showed up after the silence and spoke to them directly.

Many generations sacrificed lambs and followed the teachings of the sanctuary service, but it was after an extensive period of silence from God that Jesus, the lamb of God, was revealed to humankind.

2. Hannah Prayed Silently

Being silent is not restricted to the conversations you share with others. Silence sometimes means being intentional about not vocalizing what you are thinking even while you pray.

Hannah’s big dream was to have a child. The expectations in her society and Pinanah’s nagging didn’t make things easy for her. She took her concern to God silently. While she prayed, only her lips moved; her silence was mistaken for drunkenness, but the omniscient God knew her request and in time answered her prayer.

God answered the silent prayer

God answered the silent prayer of Hannah publicly. He didn’t just give her a baby; He gave her a male child. I can’t say I know the names of Pinninah’s children, but we all know something about Samuel, Hannah’s baby boy.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6 NIV)

3. God Was Silent After Saul Lost His Favor

After Saul lost the favor of God, he realized something that was very devastating. God became silent and stopped speaking to him through the prophet Samuel. (Oh yes, this is the same Samuel from Hannah’s story.)

How did Saul lose God’s favor?

He became impatient, acted impulsively, and did something he shouldn’t have done. God continued to speak through the prophet, but He stopped sending messages to Saul.

God had a new king for Israel

While God was being silent with King Saul, He was working behind the scenes to identify and anoint the new king of Israel.

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14 NIV)

Lessons From Bible Stories About Silence

There are many powerful lessons we can learn from the following Bible stories about silence. Let’s take a closer look to see why silence may be better for certain situations.

1. Lessons from the story of the four hundred silent years

The four hundred years of silence between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Jesus teaches powerful lessons about being silent. It is a reminder to retreat, focus on what you are doing, and then amaze everyone with the good news.

2. Lessons from the story of Hannah

The story of Hannah is a lesson to take things to God in prayer. Instead of being anxious, trying to come up with solutions for yourself, or focusing on those who criticize you, just empty your heart to the Lord.

The Devil is like Pininah, and he’ll use anything to make you feel bad about yourself, so it’s important to keep him out of the loop. Pray in silence! The Lord is ready and willing to give you the desires of your heart.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 NIV)

3. Lessons from the story of Saul

The story of Saul is a reminder to always include God in whatever plans you have while doing things in a way that pleases Him.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:24 NIV)

The way Saul was treated after he lost God’s favor is a lesson to guard yourself when it comes to people who behave like you are their enemy. It is unwise to share your plans and dreams with ‘a Saul’ (someone who is not committed or loyal to you). Be silent and focus on your dreams and goals because God will work behind the scenes and allow your victory to manifest itself right on time.

Final thought

Silence is powerful, and occasionally it’s better than talking about your hopes and dreams. Focus your time and energy on making your dreams a reality, then announce them when they materialize. Pray to God silently the way Hannah did, and avoid sharing your plans with individuals who don’t favor you.

I pray that your moments of silence will lead to moments of blessing and victory. As I close, I’ll leave you with a few lines from the song ‘God Is Not Done.’

“…big dream silent and focus…trust and believe you shall receive. Everything you prayed for you shall receive.”