No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:13, NIV)
As these things happen, the morning we were richly reminded by Beth Ann Nichols of the need for quiet in our walk of faith, my Scripture reading landed in Ezra 3. You just read its final verse above. And maybe you’re laughing with me. Irony sparks that.
Golf, our quiet game, gets loud this month, with this week’s Solheim Cup and later the Ryder Cup. The partisan crowds know how to make their voices heard in cheers and songs, jeers and taunts. These are events unlike most others on Tour where, though galleries can get loud in the most exciting moments, there is rarely the incessant buzz of the major cup matches.
So what can we say here at the beginning? There is a place for both hush-hush and hurrah, both in golf and in our faith. Now let’s take some time to explore the latter.
As Beth Ann established in that helpful devotion a couple of weeks ago, God frequently meets us by his Spirit in places of silence and solitude. We need to separate ourselves from the constant hum of life and give time for quiet. Into these moments, God enters. His presence assures us. His words comfort and restore us. His guidance leads us.
Not all noise is unnecessary. Some of it is celebratory and proper.
But what is also true is that when we genuinely meet with God, our own response may be loud. We may break forth in praise or weeping, both indications of our joy. This is what happened among God’s people, who were seeing the foundations of the temple in Jerusalem rebuilt and were overcome with what was happening. The temple had been utterly destroyed more than 70 years before, a cause of immense grief to those who truly served the Lord. Now the temple was being restored.
Perhaps you have known such a restoration in your own life, experiencing a time when God repaid “the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25). You were so amazed at the mercy and provision of the Lord that you didn’t quite know how to respond. But I’m guessing you didn’t keep it quiet. I don’t mean you danced in the streets or shouted from a rooftop. Yet you talked to friends, maybe even gave a public testimony—and you likely sang praises a bit louder than before (or maybe for the first time ever!).
Friends, we do well to seek God in the silence, setting aside unnecessary noise. But not all noise is unnecessary. Some of it is celebratory and proper. King David was willing to be “even more undignified” in his worship of God when the circumstances called for it. Maybe it’s time to allow yourself to go over the top, overflowing with joy for what God has done for you.
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Jeff Hopper
September 1, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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