Because He’s God 

There are times when God is silent and we really don’t have a clue why. That is exactly what happened to Job. Job was a righteous man – a pillar of the community – a godly father and a hard worker. Yet, in a moment of time, his world came crashing in on him in monumental proportions.

In one day, he lost all of his children and all of his livestock. Illness then began to ravage his body leaving excruciating boils festering with pain. His wife, overcome with her own grief, told him to curse God and die. His friends had dubbed him a secret sinner, because in their minds, tragedies like Job’s only happened to the vilest of sinners.

In contrast to their conclusion, it was not Job’s sin but his righteousness that caused his calamities. When you’re serving God and trying to lead your family to do the same, seeing the bottom drop out from under your feet can be a hard thing to swallow.

Job maintained his integrity (Job 27:3-5), but he really didn’t have a clue why he was going through such a difficult time in his life. He cried out to God…but God was silent. In Job 30:20, Job told the Lord, “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before You, but you don’t even look.”

Job was experiencing a serious season of silence from God…it was unexplainable; and when he called on God, he received no explanation.

Job was never told why he had to experience such tragedy and heartache, but we are told that Job was given twice as much as he had to start with. His lost children could never be replaced, but he came through that season of silence with his integrity in tact and his faith affirmed.

We don’t always get to know why God chooses seasons of silence in our lives. But when God’s silence is deafening, we can rest in the reality that His silence does not mean that He is absent, nor does His silence mean that He is inactive. He is with us, He sees us and He is at work in our present circumstances.

Like a beautiful painting hanging in a museum. We never see the artist at work as he carefully brushes each stroke of vivid color on the blank canvas. We never hear a sound. We only see that he has secretly created something beautiful for the world to behold. When God places us in a season of silence, we may not see Him at work, but He is creating a beautiful masterpiece out of the blank canvas of our lives that the world may behold our heavenly Artist at work in His creation.

There’s an old poem written on a cellar wall in Cologne, Germany,where the Jews were hidden during World War II, which says:

“I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining. 

I believe in love, even when I’m alone. 

I believe in God, even when He’s silent.”

I hope this series has helped you get a clearer biblical picture of the various reasons why we might experience a season of silence. Perhaps this series may have even helped you pinpoint the reason for your own season of silence. I pray it has, sweet friend…I pray it has!

GOING DEEPER:

Are you experiencing a season of silence in some area of your life? Review the examples given and ask the Lord if there’s something He wants to show you today.

If you’re being tested by God’s silence, write out some ways you can successfully pass the test, with your integrity in tact and your faith affirmed.

TO KNOW HIM MORE:

There are times when God is silent right before He chooses to reveal Himself to us in a new and profound way. From Malachi to Matthew the world experienced what is known as the “Silent Years.” But when God spoke, the silence was broken with the life-changing message that the Messiah had come to the earth to be the Savior of the world and nothing would ever be the same.

In the town of Bethany, a friend of Jesus lay sick and dying. His name was Lazarus. His sisters, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, “Master, the one you love so much is sick.” Perhaps they thought they would be able to persuade Jesus to hurry…after all, He loved Lazarus “so much.” Instead of a making a mad dash to Bethany, the Bible tells us that Jesus postponed his trip for two days.

Jesus arrived on the scene to find the somber sisters grieving the loss of their beloved brother, Lazarus. If He had just gotten there sooner, perhaps Lazarus wouldn’t have died. The truth is, if He had arrived sooner, they would not have been able to see the glorious resurrection of their already decaying brother. His delay magnified His miracle and they were able to see Him work in their lives in a way they could have never seen if He would have been there four days earlier.

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers said that many times, “His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself.” His silence allowed Mary, Martha and Lazarus to see Him work in a way they would have missed if He had been there earlier.

Don’t faint in your season of silence, sweet friend. God may just be wanting to do exceedingly, abundantly above all you could ask or think! Your “new thing” may be just around the corner…just a whisper away. Hold on and keep doing the next thing. Never forget in the dark what God has shown you in the light.

And remember, God’s silence NEVER equals God’s absence – God’s silence NEVER equals His inactivity. He is consistently working behind the scenes of our lives for our good and His glory! 

Are you waiting on God to move in a specific area of your life? Are you desperate to see Him work a work that only He can? What are you longing to see the Living God do when He breaks the silence and speaks that new thing into your life?

I recently remember asking an older believer what his thoughts were about those seasons of silence we all go through. He quickly responded, “Well hun…that’s when God is trying to show us what we’re made of.”

Sometimes, we need to look in the mirror of God’s ‘silence test’ to reveal those areas where we are weak…where our faith is shaky…and where our pride is getting in the way.

Sometimes, we experience seasons of silence because God is testing us. 

TESTED BY SILENCE

Anything of value must be pass a three-fold test :

Authenticity – Is it the real deal? Is it genuine or a fake?

Flaws – Does it have imperfections?

Value – What is it worth in today’s market?

1 Peter 1:6-7 tells us that the trials we go through reveal the genuineness of our faith and are much more precious than gold. When we are tested by God’s silence, it’s reveals if we truly believe what we say we believe; how strong (or weak) our faith is; and how will God use it in your life and the lives of others

Hezekiah was described as a king who trusted the Lord and kept His commands. He had a great testimony, but a perfect man, he was not. Hezekiah had a pride problem and 2 Chronicles 32:31 tells us that God chose to deal with his pride by withdrawing from him in a specific area. He wanted Hezekiah to be aware of his own propensity for pride.

Sometimes God chooses to step back and be silent in a certain area of our lives so that we can see ourselves as we really are. Flawed people in need of a flawless God. Seeing ourselves as we really are prevents us from thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought and gives us compassion for others. It’s hard to throw stones when you know you deserve a few of your own.

Nothing you go through is wasted, dear one. Perhaps you are experiencing the “Silence Test” in order to reveal how real your faith is, to unveil your weakness or to place you in a position to minister to others. Remember, nothing is given value unless it has first been tested.

As we walk through the Word and discover more about those times when it’s hard to hear from God in a specific area of our lives, it’s important to remember that regardless of why we are experiencing a season of silence, for the Christian, God’s silence NEVER equals God’s absence – God’s silence NEVER equals His inactivity. He is consistently working behind the scenes of our lives for our good and His glory! 

Have you ever experienced the “Silence Test”? Is your faith the real deal? Does your faith stand when your world is falling apart? Are you weak when you pride tries to be strong?

Come back tomorrow as we discover how the Bible shows us that we sometimes experience seasons of silence when God is just about to reveal Himself in a way we would never be able to see otherwise.