Hosanna Restoration Church

God is so good. God is wonderful. Praise the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. Give thanks to the Lord. Jesus is Lord.

This list could go on and on and I pray it goes on and on in your mind as it does in mine. It is a good idea to fill our hearts and minds with good things. If we do, we might find ourselves intercepting those other things that we sometimes say when we do not know what to say!

It really is ok not to say anything. Silence really is ok. The only thing is, silence often makes us uncomfortable. People in a conversation at a point of silence might be heard to say, “why don’t you say something?” Then again, we can also hear people asking for the conversation to end! That is usually because someone has said something that the other did not want or need to hear. Words are lasting.

Once words are spoken, they go on and on. We can try to take them back but that seldom works. Actually, it never works. James points out that if we could or would control our tongues, we could and would be perfect.

Just like Peter, we say things that we do not need to say, because we do not know what else to say. We could wait until we know, and not say anything until then! We all know that some things are best left unsaid!

At the same time, We can often find ourselves building something on a single experience that is not intended to become a permanent home. Peter went from telling Jesus that He could not die, to wanting to build a memorial for Him! God quickly made things clear. Moses and Elijah disappeared, and they were instructed to listen to Jesus.

Peter had another one of his, “what was I thinking moments.” Actually, it is good for us to learn to use those kinds of moments to do better the next time. Of course, we are often just like Peter and keep putting our foot in it!

On the way back down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had just witnessed. That just may have been easy for them, since they had no idea what had just happened. First, they see two dead men with Jesus, then they hear God speaking from a cloud, and the two dead men disappear. They may just need a little time to sort that out. Oh, and let’s not forget, Jesus sealed that with a reminder that He was going to die and be raised from the dead.

No matter what situations we may find ourselves in, silence is often a good choice if we have no idea what to say. It is also a good choice if we are about to say something that we know we should not say! None of us know everything, but we do know this. God is good. God is great. Praise the Lord!