ODJ: silence of God
February 16, 2011
O Lord, how long will You forget me? Forever? How long will You look the other way? (v.1).
READ: Psalm 13
She sits alone in her room—dark circles under her eyes, tears running down her cheeks. Since her teenage years, God has been her fulfillment, but her heart still has gaps—empty places, hollow spaces, unmet longings. And she has prayed, oh how she has prayed for God to give her the desires of her heart. Or to take them away. One or the other. But neither has happened. Ten long years of waiting. “How long will you forget me?” she whispers. “Forever?”
We may celebrate the goodness of God during times of answered prayer and unexpected blessing, but sooner or later, we all face the silence of God. Israel did (1 Sam. 3:1). Job did (Job 23:1-9). Asaph did—crying to God all night without answer (Ps. 77:1-9). “Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” David prayed (10:1). “Do not turn a deaf ear to me,” he demanded (28:1). “How long must I struggle with . . . sorrow in my heart every day?” he cried. “Turn and answer me” (13:2-3). Even Jesus experienced the deathly silence of the Father (Matt. 27:46).
What is God doing during His silence? Preparing the answer to our request? Maybe. Testing the depth of our devotion? Perhaps. Developing our character? Undoubtedly. Christian martyrs of old were sawn in two out of devotion to Jesus. Why shouldn’t we endure a little pain as we mature? Sometimes, however, we may never know why God is keeping quiet.
Thankfully, God does break His silence. He spoke to Israel (1 Samuel 3:4-14) and Job (Job 38); the morning finally dawned for Asaph (Psalm 77:11-20) and David (28:6-9); the silence of Good Friday was followed by the shout of Easter (Matthew 28).
But, until she hears from God, that girl—representing so many others—sits in her room alone. Or is she? —Sheridan Voysey
Recall a period of God’s silence in your life. How did you grow through it? How can you help others who are experiencing the silence of God? How will you be God’s comfort as they wait?
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I too have many a times wondered and question why God had closed His floodgates of Heaven to me. However, I know that God is ever listening to all our prayers.
During my younger days, i was financially sound as God had given me more than what i required. For years i had been enjoying a wonderful life, getting what i wanted in life. Crisis hit the world economy in 1997 and many businesses around the globe stumbled including mine. Within 4 months , my Bank account started showing deficit figures and i knew something had to be done to balance it up again. I was desperate to keep my business alive however no matter how i tried, nothing seems to materialise.
Years later i managed to make my way up earning good business income again. I was overjoyed but my joy doesn’t seems to last. I was down again badly hit by another wave of economic crisis. I just can’t seems to accept that it had to happen to me again. All this while even though i am a Christian, i had stopped going to Church, giving excuses that i was a very busy man and deserve a good rest come Sunday morning. For years i had not attended Church Service until finally during my visit to my Dad’s home one day. I bumped into Rick Warrens book titled “Purpose Driven Life” which my Dad was reading and i decided to flip a few pages to look into the contents. God surely has His ways of speaking to me cause after reading only a few pages, the Spirit of God started prompting me. Ever since that day, i am once again a regular Church goer but my financial problem was still not solve till today.
God may seems to distance Himself at times but i know through faith that he is always watching and listening to all our prayers. He had promised never to abandoned us nor will He ever forsake us. Whatever happened, i know it happened for a purpose and ever since then, i have learned to be contemplated with everything God had blessed me with..Praise be to God for He is always good.
The hardest part of being a Christian is knowing with all your heart that there is a God who listens to prayers but sometimes, when you need Him most, He seems so far away.
And the second hardest is waiting, waiting and waiting but the answers to your prayer just won’t come.
In those times when I feel like my prayers are not being answered I find comfort in the words of the song song by Joy Williams that says, “It’s okay if You answer me with silence. It’s okay if You don’t say a word. You’re testing me to trust You’ll be faithful in this quit. So okay answer me with silence.”
ANd in that moment I don’t feel so alone anymore. The feeling of abandonment just drifts away and I cling onto the promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me. I am also reminded of the countless times before, where I found myself in similar situations and I am reminded that God might not step in when I want Him to but He’s always on time and His always got my back no matter what
Many years ago I always wondered why did Jesus say that “Without Me, you can do nothing?”. Now I know what that means more or so. I’ve had the ‘dark night of the soul’ for 3 years and now the I can see the faint light of dawn coming. During this period of time, I can’t read the Bible, I can’t say a prayer without a heavy heart and it felt like heaven is so silent. No matter how I bang the door of heaven nobody is answering. Those years were really difficult for me because God seems to be avoiding me though I really need His guidance. No answer at all. Just silence. That really hurts. How come God is so silent? It’s hard to live. I realized now that I really, really need Him in my life, that without Him in my life I can’t do anything.
I don’t know how long this period of darkness will last but at least now I’m slowly coming back into the light…LORD, you know what, I trust you even in those dark times. You know I do…