Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- January 25, 2014
“When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him” (1 Samuel 28:5–6)
Sometimes God is silent. He is silent in our prayers. He is silent in our circumstances. He is silent in our relationships, and He is silent in His Word. His silence can be deafening because it seems that His silence is ill timed. In most cases, His silence revolves around a real need you are experiencing. You may feel that God is disinterested or that He does not care. The silence of God can be an overwhelming place to occupy and still trust Him.
Your predicament could be like a heavy bar bell on your chest with no spotter available to assist you. You feel all alone and unable to fix the problem or correct the issue. You do not even know where to start. You are in despair, at the tipping point of depression. Anger has clouded your reason, and heaven seems indifferent to your hurt.
Or, on the other hand, you are “suffering” from success and prosperity; yet God feels distant and disconnected. You have honored Him in the process, but He has not seemed to honor you with His warm and affirming presence. What is going on? What is God up to? What does He want you to do next for the good of His kingdom?
Indeed, God’s silence is your opportunity to remain faithful, even when you are unsure of His intentions for your life. He is God and we are not; therefore, we do not have to pressure ourselves to figure out everything that is going on. Managing the big picture is in His job description, not yours; so rest in His silence. Refuse to become restless, resentful, or rebellious. But still you ask, “Why the silence?”
There may be two possible reasons for God’s silence—sin or sanctification; or it may be a combination of both. When God withholds His blessing and direction for your life, it may be the direct consequence of the sin in your life. This is why regular confession and repentance of sin are critical for the follower of Christ. This is like breathing for your soul. Sin is like cotton in the ears of our heart; thus, God’s voice becomes muffled, unclear, and eventually silent. Your removal of sin clears the wax from the ears of your heart.
God’s silence may be used for your sanctification. He is in the process of making you more and more like His Son Jesus Christ. This is not always fun, though it is needed to learn God’s ways and His purpose for your life. Even if He is silent, do what you know is right today, and trust Him with the next step for tomorrow. Do not let silence overwhelm you; rather, use it as a springboard to trust God’s faithfulness.
“O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent” (Psalm 109:1).
What do I need to learn during my silent times with the Lord? Will I still trust Him?
Related Readings: Psalm 83:1; Isaiah 62:1; John 12:29; 2 Peter 1:18
Taken from the January 25th reading in Boyd’s 365-day devotional book, “Seeking Daily the Heart of God vol. 2” … http://bit.ly/Tv6y9a
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I have been asking God for a wife for years…He does NOT care…I’m sure of it.
Dear Kerry~ Thank you for reaching out to us with your email. I can “hear” the frustration” in your words. Kerry, God does care. He loves you more than you can even imagine. I do not know why God hasn’t answer your prayer for a wife, only He KNOWS. As written in the devotional, “God’s Silence”, “Managing the big picture is in His job description, not yours; so rest in His silence”.
What I do know for sure is this : His Love for you is undeniable and more than we can even come close to understanding. “Your Love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens and your faithfulness to the skies”. (Psalm 36:5)
Kerry, I will be praying for you during this time of “waiting” and “silence”. My prayer is that you will TRUST HIM during this time and know that HE loves you.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne Maffett
Wisdom Hunters
Thank-You, for the wonderful words
of encouragement reading gods silence encourages me to wait on the lord for I know he will work everything out I will continue to give him all praise and glory he deserves it all!!!
Out of my 5 children only one is not walking with the Lord. I pray for him many times a day that the Lord will open his eyes, soften his heart and draw him to Himself. Is there any other prayer I could pray for my son’s salvation? He went to Christian school until his father died when he was in junior high, but now he is in his thirties and says he is a Buddhist. He is also a homosexual… My son’s name is Rob.
Also…my hair has been falling out for nearly ten years, though I pray for it to be restored. Does this mean that my hair is falling out because I am in sin? I confess my sins daily when I pray and repent. If a woman’s hair is supposed to be her crowning glory.. (mine is very thin), does this mean that God does not want me to have hair (a crowning glory) ? I have wept over both these unanswered prayers for a very long time and though I trust the Lord, I can’t understand why he doesn’t hear me on these two points. Thank you.
Dear Michelle~ Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to us with your questions and concerns. I can “hear” the hurt and confusion in your email. First let me just say, that you have 4 children that are walking with the Lord and what a blessing that is! I do not have an answer for you as to why the 5th one is struggling, but goodness, keep praying and trust God to take care of Rob. God loves Rob so much, more than we can even imagine, and HE does hear your prayers. When and how He answers them, is in His Divine Timing. As the last sentence of the devotional, “God’s Silence” states, “Do not let silence overwhelm you; rather, use it as a springboard to trust God’s faithfulness.” (Easy to say, but sometimes, hard to do, I know…) Remember, the prodigal son???
As far as the challenges with your hair, I am afraid, I do not know what to say except~ Surrender this, too, to our Heavenly Father, and pray for His guidance in health issues. Perhaps, this is a result of a vitamin deficiency or stress or another health issue. Seek out the Great Physician and ask for guidance. In the meantime, Michelle, our prayer team at Wisdom Hunters will be praying for you. Let us know how you are in the weeks to come.
We are so thankful you are a fellow wisdom hunter!
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those whose seek you.” Psalm 9:9-10