God’s Silence

Sometimes God is silent. He is silent in our prayers. He is silent in our circumstances. He is silent in our relationships and He is silent in His word. His silence can be deafening, because it seems that His silence is ill timed. In most cases His silence revolves around a real need you are experiencing. You may feel like God is disinterested, or that He doesn’t care. The silence of God can be an overwhelming place to occupy and still trust Him.

Your predicament could be like a heavy bar bell on your chest without a spotter available to assist you. You feel all alone and unable to fix the problem, or correct the issue. You don’t even know where to start. You are at the place of despair, the tipping point of depression. Anger has clouded your reason and heaven seems indifferent to your hurt.

Or, on the other hand, you are ‘suffering’ from success and prosperity, yet God feels distant and disconnected. You have honored Him in the process, but He has not seemed to honor you back with His warm and affirming presence. What is going on? What is God up too? What does He want you to do next for the good of His Kingdom?

Indeed, His silence is your opportunity to remain faithful, even when you are unsure of God’s intentions for your life. He is God and we are not, therefore we don’t have to put that much pressure on ourselves of having to figure out everything that is going on. Managing the ‘big picture’ is in His job description not yours, so rest in His silence. Refuse to become, restless, resentful or rebellious. But you still ask, why the silence?

Two possible reasons for God’s silence may be sin, sanctification, or a combination of both. There may be sin in your life that has been the direct consequence of God withholding His blessing and direction for your life. This is why regular confession and repentance of sin is critical for the follower of Christ. This is like breathing for your soul.

Sin is like cotton to the ears of our heart. Thus, God’s voice becomes muffled, unclear and eventually silent. Your removal of sin clears the wax and the clutter from the ears of your heart. This is the first step in hearing the still, small voice of your Heavenly Father.

Another possible reason for God’s silence is your sanctification. God is in the process of making us more and more like His son Jesus Christ. This is not always fun, though it is needed to learn God’s ways and His purpose for your life. Even if He is silent, do what you know is right today and trust Him with next steps for tomorrow. Do not let silence overwhelm you. Rather, use it as a springboard to trust God’s faithfulness. By faith you can still see the face of your silent Savior Jesus. In silence let Him make you strong!

“O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent.” (Psalm 109:1).

What do I need to learn during my silent times with the Lord? Will I still trust Him?

Related Readings: Psalm 83:1; Isaiah 62:1; John 12:29; 2 Peter 1:18

Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?