When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot. Sometimes God rides out the storm with us and other time, He calms the restless sea around us. Most of all, He calms the storm inside us in our deepest inner soul.

God’s silence is not an indication of His activity or involvement in our lives. He may be silent but He is not still. In time of greater darkness we need greater light; in time of greater testing we need greater strength. Let us remember, no matter what we face in life, we don’t let go of God’s hand. 

Life is full of challenges and obstacles. Many times we know we should not give up but we find it hard to stay positive and optimistic. Encouragement from someone we love and respect can help to relieve stress and boost our morale as we learn from the following beautiful and inspiring narrative.

A member of the church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visits, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one, lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon, it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday."

We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.