God’s seeming silence tests our faith to wait on Him. Yet NOT waiting on God when He is silent brings His judgment. The Children of Israel weren’t willing to wait on Moses to return from the mountain, they worshiped the golden calf and consequently God’s judgment fell on them (Exodus 32). Because Saul didn’t wait on Samuel to offer a sacrifice to God, the kingdom was taken from him (1 Samuel 13:11-14). By contrast, Moses was willing to wait however long it took rather than do anything without God (Exodus 33:15). Waiting proves faith in God and the desire for Him rather than “His stuff.”
Who has been silent more often, you or God? God could make an indefensible case regarding our silence toward Him in terms of anemic prayer lives than we could ever make regarding His supposed silence toward us. But that makes us a little uncomfortable so let’s get back to the original question.
How long have you been asking… praying… looking to heaven… reading Scripture… waiting to hear from God? Has it been weeks… months… years… or decades God has been silent? Whatever the time is, you are not the first. In light of 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 there are comforts God gives when He is silent. Written another way, God has spoken many times about when He is silent!
God has already granted to every believer everything they’ll ever need. There hasn’t been, isn’t, and never will be a time when God has not ALREADY provided what is needed in this life. If something is needed to live, it has been granted. If something is needed for the relationship to God, it has been provided. The problem is not the lack of provision but thinking God doesn’t know what is needed at a given time in a particular circumstance. To think otherwise is astoundingly arrogant.
From 2 Peter 1:3-4, which promises are believers given that pertain to all things? “He has promised never to leave nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). “No one can snatch you out of My Father’s Hand.” (John 10:28-29) “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose”(Romans 8:28-29). “Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:37-39). “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, until He brings justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20). “The peace of God will guard your heart and mind” (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27). “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” {Who are in Christ} (Psalm 84:11). And those are just for starters.
Do we really want God to answer us? Do we really want God to reply to our questions? Job thought he did, then it happened… God showed up and posed a few questions. Job’s response? “I’m shutting my mouth! I was a fool to question you!” I came up with a set of hypothetical questions of my own God could ask…
If I want to be silent, what is that to you? Who are you to question Me and what I will? (Romans 9:20)
If I decide to wad you up into a ball and cast you into the corner for My glory, who are you to question My decision to do so?
If I were silent, don’t you think I’d have a good reason for being such?
Can you handle 1/1,000,000 of the requests I answer every minute? You would melt under the pressure while I handle them all times 10,000,000 as though they are nothing.
Tell Me, since you are full of knowledge, If I did what you want… what would the outcome be and how would you handle all the resulting consequences?
Are you able to make yourself grow… give life to the dead… give sight to the blind… or make time stand still? Who then are you to doubt or question Me?
You say you trust Me with your eternity, but you don’t trust Me with your present? If you don’t trust Me about daily things, can you really trust Me with your future?
My Son told you something important in Matthew 6:25-34. Go read it and listen to Him. Then we will talk…
Truth is, God is NEVER silent! “What more can He say than to you He has said?” is a line from “How Firm A Foundation.” God is always speaking, we just need to be willing to hear what He is saying.
We as Christians often to rationalize God’s actions in human terms. We expect God to “do” something when we pray. However we forget that God is always doing something. Sometimes, he acts and other times he does not. His non action is actually him doing something, (generally not what we expected him to do). In the midst of a storm, God may choose to actively quiet the wind, or do nothing and let the wind carry you safely to shore. His silence does not reflect his inaction, but generally reflects his foreknowledge of the results. I do not know what my future holds, but I know that God holds my future. We must earnestly believe what Roman 8:28 says; “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” As a believer, you fit into both of these categories and trust God, rather than your desires.
Ohh, Ron, how true this is …”we expect God to do something when we pray but we forget he is always doing something.”
God answers some of my calls every day. Those things not answered will be answered in His time. I thank him every morning for being able to awaken and share my life with Him.