I’ve written a lot on my blog about how God speaks. I love it when He does. It is powerful, life-changing and exhilarating.
But what about those times when God doesn’t speak?
Maybe you’re someone who has never heard the voice of God. To be honest, I haven’t ran across too many of you. Most believers today have stories of when they were sure they heard God’s voice. Maybe you’re someone who hasn’t heard it in a while, and that’s causing you pain.
Waves
For me, the Lord has seemed to speak in waves. I don’t know that there has ever been a period when the Lord didn’t speak at all, but there have definitely been times when He doesn’t speak much. Like for the past three years for me.
It’s been a painful silence, and I don’t like it much. I appreciate the people who try to help by telling me that God is still working and that it’s not my fault, but honestly, those are mostly empty words. There is a deep longing, a painfulness of going from hearing God’s voice to not hearing it that no kind words can heal.
As a follower of Jesus, I know that God is still there. My identity hasn’t changed, but the pain is real, and nothing but God’s voice takes it away. For me, I know that the things God is trying to produce in me are not evident until long afterward, so during that time, there is little comfort to be had.
The Job Analogy
In a much, much, much smaller way it is like being Job. Nothing but a conversation with God, no matter how harsh it may be, can sooth our hearts.
How about you? Have you experienced the silence of God? How did you feel during that time? Could you see what God was doing during that silence, or was it only evident long afterward?
How did you deal with that period of silence and what was it like when you came out of it?
I am a writer, author and purveyor of ink on paper. I also preach, teach and create Excel spreadsheets.