When God seems silent

There are times when God seems silent. Prayers go unanswered, even those asking for direction in desperate situations. Sometimes this is God testing my faith, or developing patience, but the OT tells of God being silent because the people were not listening to what He has already told them.

In trying to remember how this works, I think of a child who has been told, “no treats before supper” and as the mother stirs the soup for that meal, the child asks for a cookie and she just keeps stirring the soup without saying a word.

That is minor. I met a woman who was living with a man but not married to him. They moved into the community and she said she would start going to church and claimed to be a Christian. She didn’t seem bothered that her life choices did not please God. However, before she could attend church, she was in a head-on collision and died. 

I don’t know the will of God concerning her, but this was a warning to never act as if sin is okay because God says it is not. He kept warning His OT people to obey Him and when they didn’t, He said:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it. (Amos 8:11–12)

After more than 50 years of hearing God speak in daily devotions (that is more than 18250 days), I sit before my Bible each morning with the wonder of hearing God speak, and a bit of dread that He will remain silent. Not the silence of unanswered prayer, but the silence that comes when His will is being ignored. These verses speak of this happening:

We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long. (Psalm 74:9)
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)

Another reason for silence is described. It happens when those who say God speaks but have not heard Him at all...

Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths. Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:5–8)

If I’m going to share what God says to me, I cannot fake it or repeat things that listeners want to hear rather than tell the truth. If I become a ‘false’ prophet or a fake anything, it belies what God is like. He speaks truth and I cannot make up anything, only say what He says. If I do, either my hearing is bad or my agenda has become more important than His will.

Yet by grace He promises that His silence will not destroy His people. He will use it as a rebuke, or as a form of instruction. Even after many warnings, He still says words like this:

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:13–15)

PRAY: Lord, You always speak, but I don’t always listen. Keep me turned in, not turned off or worse. Keep me from inventing what You say. If You ever are silent because I’ve not been doing what You already told me, don’t listen to my excuses. I cannot beg for a cookie if You say ‘no cookies’ nor greedily ask for more if I’ve ignored that You have already given enough. May the lessons and warnings of Your prophets remind me always of the importance of Your will and the need for my integrity. Obedience and truth honor Your great name.