Never Let a Rock Cry Out for Me

by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan

I wasn’t planning to paint a bird.

Friday afternoon, while Liam was taking drum lessons, I opened my sketchbook and began drawing to pass the time. The next day, I carried the sketch back to my tiny house office, picked up my watercolors, and turned on worship music. As I painted, one song settled deep into my heart: “Cry Out.”

Before I knew it, I wasn’t simply painting anymore. The words of the song began finding their way across the page as naturally as the brushstrokes themselves. “Keep singing.” “Keep praising.” “I won’t let a rock cry out for me.” By the time I finished, I realized the painting had become an act of worship.

The past two years have been quieter than I ever imagined they would be. There have been seasons when opportunities disappeared, familiar places grew silent, and I wondered whether the Lord was asking me to step away from the very things I loved most. Yet through every quiet moment, He never stopped speaking.

Just last week, while I was getting ready for church, the Lord impressed four simple words upon my heart:

Move when I say move.

At first, I didn’t understand what He meant. A few days later, an unexpected phone call helped me recognize that obedience is not measured by how many opportunities appear before us but by our willingness to follow the Shepherd’s voice. Sometimes faith means moving. Sometimes it means staying. Every time, it means trusting.

As I continued painting, another Scripture filled my thoughts. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to silence His disciples, He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40, ESV). Those words have echoed in my spirit all week.

I realized something that changed the way I viewed this season. Worship has never been about being accepted by people or recognized from a platform; it has always been about bringing every part of who I am before the throne of the One who alone is worthy.

I want to bring Him my whole voice, not just my songs. I want to bring Him my writing, my teaching, my paintbrush, my praise, my obedience, and every gift He has entrusted to me. Whether anyone else ever notices is secondary because my worship was never intended for an audience.

Perhaps that is why the Lord has been teaching me to create in new ways. While I waited, He placed a paintbrush in my hand. He taught me to paint scenes instead of simply pictures and stories instead of merely pages. He quietly answered prayers I had carried for years, reminding me that His timing is never late.

Looking back, I don’t believe He was silencing my voice. He was expanding it.

Today I sing with words. Tomorrow I may sing through a children’s story. Some days my praise flows through a newspaper column. Other days it finds its way into watercolor, tucked between flowers, birds, and tiny garden creatures. Whatever form it takes, every good and perfect gift belongs to Him.

So whether the Lord tells me to move or to stay, my response will remain the same. I will keep creating. I will keep praising. I will keep bringing everything I have into the throne room of my Lord and Savior.

Because I don’t come before Him offering silence.

I come offering praise, and I will never let a rock cry out for me.

Scripture Focus

Luke 19:37–40 (ESV) reminds us that worship belongs to Jesus because of who He is, not because of where we are or what season we find ourselves in. When others wanted the disciples to be quiet, Jesus declared that if they remained silent, the stones themselves would cry out. Creation continually declares His glory. As His redeemed people, may our lives do the same.

Reflection

Waiting seasons can tempt us to believe our voices no longer matter. Yet God often uses those quiet places to deepen our worship and expand the ways we glorify Him. Our praise is not dependent upon a platform. It is the natural response of a heart captivated by the goodness of Christ.

Challenge

Take a moment today to offer the Lord every gift He has entrusted to you. Whether you sing, write, teach, paint, serve, encourage, or simply pray, place it before Him as an act of worship. Then ask yourself: Am I offering Him silence, or am I offering Him praise?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being worthy of every part of my life. Thank You for teaching me that worship is never confined to a stage, a microphone, or a particular season. Receive my whole heart, my whole voice, every gift, every word, every brushstroke, and every act of obedience as an offering of praise. Teach me to move when You say move, to stay when You say stay, and to worship You faithfully in every season. May my life continually point others to Jesus, for He alone is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

In the precious name of Yeshua HaMashiach, Amen.

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