Daily Office - Discovering the Rhythm of Sabbath Pt. 5*

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading—Psalm 46:1-3, 10

God is our refuge and strength,
An ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
And the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” 

3) Devotional
Many are avidly seeking but they alone find who remain in continual silence . . . Every man who delights in a multitude of words, even though he says admirable things, is empty within. If you love truth, be a lover of silence. Silence like the sunlight, will illuminate you in God and will deliver you from the phantoms of ignorance. Silence will unite you to God himself . . .

More than all things love silence: it brings you a fruit that tongue cannot describe. In the beginning we have to force ourselves to be silent. But then there is born something that draws us to silence. May God give you an experience of this “something” that is born of silence. If only you practice this, untold light will dawn on you in consequence . . . after a while a certain sweetness is born in the heart of this exercise and the body is drawn almost by force to remain in silence.⁶¹

—Isaac of Nineveh (Bishop of Nineveh, 7^th century) 

4) Question to Consider
What keeps you from silence?

5) Prayer
LORD, help me to be still and wait patiently for you in silence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

*from "Begin the Journey with The Daily Office" by Pete Scazzero