When God Is Silent

When God Is Silent, He Is Inviting You To Know Him Deeper

Every time I minister, a handful of people ask me to pray for them to hear God more clearly.  One has a decision to make, and doesn’t want to move outside of God’s counsel.  One remembers being close with God and is sad that it has gotten cooler.  And another just wants more clarity.  The thing is, all of them are frustrated when they run after God and He is hard to find.

“Is God indifferent?  Is He there?  Have I done something to upset Him?  Does He love me like He did before?  Have I lost my calling?  Did He give my assignment to someone else?  What the heck is going on?”

One thing is for sure.   He isn’t giving you the silent treatment! His thoughts towards you are always good, even if you are not making Him happy at the moment.  He isn’t pouting, withholding, or pushing you away.  He has not abandoned you, rejected you, or let His love grow cold.  That isn’t His nature.  God is all the things in 1 Corithians 13: 4-8.  God is patient, God is kind.  He is not rude, self-seeking, or easily angered.  He keeps no record of wrongs.  He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  His love never fails.

So why is He quiet?  I don’t know all the answers, but  I do understand a few things about God I want to share (the last one on the list is my favorite).

When God is quiet, it could mean:

• You aren’t doing the last thing He told you to do.  (Before you get new instructions, you have to complete the current ones.)
• Something has silenced your hearing, not His voice.
• He wants you to focus on something else.
• You already know the answer.  (Maybe you don’t like the answer, so you ignore it and keep asking in hopes to get one you like.)
• You are asking for more confirmation so you won’t have to use faith.  (Are you asking God to make the answer so obvious that faith isn’t necessary?  Really?  Doesn’t that embarrass you?  How are you ever going to grow your faith if you keep asking God to remove all doubt?  That’s like trying to build muscles by having someone else lift the weights for you.  Time for a reality check!  If all doubt is gone, then faith isn’t needed.)
• (MY FAVORITE!)  God wants to deepen your friendship.

Here’s what I think God’s heart says when He’s quiet:

“You say I’m silent.  If I am silent, know Me deeper.  Feel My heart.”

The coolest thing about God is that He is personal with us.  He knows how to talk to us, even without words.  He knows how to touch our hearts in pictures, sounds, and happenings.  Sometimes, He talks through other people.  Sometimes, He gives us signs like the snow heart in the picture.  And all the time, He directs our path, whether we see Him doing it or not.