Difficult

“Silence is God's language, and it's a very difficult language to learn.” (Thomas Keating)

Elijah had been used of God to hold back rain from the Samaritans for over three years, because of their sins. Obviously, he was not well liked as a preacher. I can only imagine the stress Elijah experienced during those years. 1 Kings 18:1 (CSB) seems to further complicate Elijah’s situation.        After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”

According to a couple New Testament passages, this “After a long time” was actually three a half year famine. For three and a half years, the people apparently continued to sin, Elijah continued to hold on by faith, but God said nothing. God was apparently inactive (not speaking). The separation must have seemed unbearable. Elijah is not liked and unpopular. He’s an outcast from the people and the One he trusted most was seemingly absent. God would soon do a miracle through Elijah, one he couldn’t even imagine.

When I read the above Old Testament story, Elijah’s challenges remind me of the song, “Haven’t Seen It Yet” by Danny Gokey. Read the lyrics below, and see if you can relate to what is being described:

Have you been praying and you still have no answers?
Have you been pouring out your heart for so many years?
Have you been hoping that things would have changed by now?
Have you cried all the faith you have through so many tears?

 

Don't forget the things that He has done before
And remember He can do it all once more

 

Chorus

It's like the brightest sunrise
Waiting on the other side of the darkest night
Don't ever lose hope, hold on and believe
Maybe you just haven't seen it, just haven't seen it yet
You're closer than you think you are

Only moments from the break of dawn
All His promises are just up ahead
Maybe you just haven't seen it, just haven't seen it yet

Maybe you just haven't seen it, just haven't seen it yet
Maybe you just haven't seen it

 

He had the solution before you had the problem
He sees the best in you when you feel at your worst
So in the questioning, don't ever doubt His love for you
'Cause it's only in His love that you'll find a breakthrough, oh

 

Chorus

 

He is moving with a love so deep
Hallelujah for the victory
Good things are coming even when we can't see
We can't see it yet, but we believe that
He is moving with a love so deep
Hallelujah for the victory
Good things are coming even when we can't see
We can't see it yet, but we believe that

 

Chorus

 

Has the silence of God in your life ever been more than you could handle? You have been faithfully serving God. He is using you. You are in constant communication with Him, and then suddenly everything is quiet. (You don’t hear clearly the voice of God.) God answers prayer though you must wait on Him. There have probably been periods in your life as a follower of Christ when it seems God is nowhere to be found.

They are called periods of spiritual dryness. What should we do during the times of silence before the miracles of God come through for us? These times serve a purpose. If you hold onto your faith, you can find God even when you can’t hear His voice (and see His direction). Below is what you can do when God seems absent from your life:

1.   Listen for a subtle voice instead of a loud, dramatic one. God most often chooses to speak in subtle ways. So tune into the ways He may already be speaking to you by making an effort to notice Him in your ordinary moments. Realize that, while God does sometimes decide to speak in dramatic ways, you shouldn’t limit your expectations on how you’ll hear Him.

 Seek God Himself rather than just what you want Him to do for you. Move closer to God in your relationship with Him so you’ll be able to hear Him when He speaks subtly to you. Let the times when God is silent increase your faith and dependence upon Him.

2.   Look for the lessons in the silence. Realize that God may be doing some of His most significant spiritual work in you during the times He’s silent. Let the silence motivate you to seek Him more, and depend on Him more when you do find Him. If you become aware that you can’t hear God because you’ve been involved with sin that’s blocking your relationship with Him, repent and ask Him to forgive you.

Be grateful that He has given you time to do so.  If God’s silence signals that you need to wait on His timing for something, pray for patience and the strength to hold onto faith. Understand that God’s silence may be a natural pause as He works out His long-term plans for your life; decide to trust Him as He works behind the scenes. Remember that His timing and methods may be different from what you’d prefer, but He always knows best.

Some of the biggest moves God has made in my life have come after a period of spiritual dryness… when it seemed like God was doing nothing in my life. Stay very close to God and watch for Him to eventually display His power. He will in time.

3.   Trust more not less. Times of silence may be filled with fear, but these times require more faith. Times come in our spiritual life when our enthusiasm isn’t as real as when we began our walk with God. That’s not an indication to quit, it may be that God is using that time for something bigger than you could have imagined, but whatever is next will most likely require a deeper level of trust.

 

4.   Turn off the noise that drowns God’s voice out. Become aware of the “noise” in your life that draws your attention away from God. Noise is anything that assaults your senses so much that it distracts you from hearing God: constant use of your cell phone, a schedule that’s too busy, and even too much clutter in your own mind to think clearly. Some ways you can turn off noise in your life include: cutting out one hour of TV or Internet time a day and spending that time in prayer, or Bible reading; walk or jog quietly and use the time for reflection and prayer.

 “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.” (Mother Teresa) [i]

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[i] Sources used:

·     “5 Things You Can Do When God Is Silent” by Michael Woods

·        “7 Suggestions When God is Silent” by Ron Edmondson 

 

 I had my posts ready for this week when God told me someone needed to read this Monday morning. If you are that someone please let me know.