7 Silence

GOD IN THE SILENCE
In 1 Kings 19, we find Elijah in a moment where he is completely alone and abandoned by all
his peers. He is the only prophet left, running for his life, and God is silent. Just a moment
before, God asked him what he was doing there in a cave in Mount Sinai and he answered. He
brought his desperate situation before the Lord, but then… silence…
Elijah looked for God’s voice in all the usual ways that he had experienced thus far. God used a
loud voice when He arranged the spectacular fire display at Mount Carmel and the terrific
rainstorm at Jezreel. He revived a dead child and provided food for the rest of a whole family’s
lives through Elijah. And now that Elijah was all alone and in need of God… nothing. Until God
showed him where to look.
God was in the silence. “And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper” (1 Kings
19:12, NLT). Elijah could not hear God until he was willing to find Him in the silence. He had to
embrace the silence to hear God’s gentle whisper. God may have been whispering to your life
as well!
What would happen if you decided to spend time in silence? You might need to quiet your
own, loud inner voice to be able to hear God’s whisper. The most difficult part may be to trust
that God is present in your silent danger zone. God is waiting for a quiet moment to whisper to
you!
TRUSTING THE SILENCE
Look, trusting that God is present in silence is one thing. But sleeping? Would you trust God if
you found out that He was sleeping? That is the challenge the disciples faced when they were
with Jesus in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. A vicious storm was raging around them and Jesus
was sleeping. Worst of all, when they woke Him, He accused them of not having faith!
Why do you think Jesus expected the disciples to trust his silence while He was sleeping? I
wondered about this for many years until I found a likely answer. I believe that Jesus would not
have directed the disciples to the other side lake if He never intended that they make it there.
That is what He expected them to trust.
God’s promises and instructions are not booby-trapped. If God gave you a promise or an
instruction, He has said all that is necessary. He has spoken and his words do not need
revisiting or editing. Perhaps He is waiting for you to obey his last words before giving you the
next.
We often lose sight of the end goal of our mission when we struggle to hear God in the storms
of life. We are so busy questioning Him that we forget He has already shown us the end
destination.
What has God promised you when you last heard his voice? What if you pursue your Godgiven purpose instead of questioning his silence? “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake”
(Mark 4:35, NLT)!
SILENT DEFENSE
We often find ourselves questioning God in the same way as the disciples did in yesterday’s
reading. The problem is that God is under no obligation to defend Himself with words. During
Jesus’ court trial Pilate was baffled when Jesus refused to utter a single word of defense. “But
Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise” (Mark 15:5, NLT).
Why are we surprised when God seems silent when we start questioning Him about our lives?
In his grace, God has given me thousands of answers throughout the years. We know that God
is delighted when we trust Him enough to ask. But when He chooses to teach us greater faith
by staying silent for a while, we can still trust in his goodness.
God is good, all the time. This familiar saying is particularly handy during times of silence. “Has
the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does He need instruction about what is good?” (Isaiah
40:14, NLT) God knows best, He does not need your advice. And even when He seems silent,
He is still good.
It may be his goodness that is keeping Him silent. Perhaps if He had to speak right now, it
would have to be words that you would not want to hear. Do you think you might be mistaking
God’s patience with his absence?
SILENT PATIENCE
We ended yesterday’s reading by pondering on whether God’s silence might be a sign of
patience. Is He perhaps waiting for us in silence? “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His
promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want
anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9, NLT).
What is God silently waiting for in your life? Perhaps you are reluctant to take a step of faith
into God’s promise of salvation. God is waiting for his prodigal sons and daughters to come
home. He is a gentleman, never forcing his children back into his home, and never giving up on
them either. Instead of you being the one waiting to hear from God, He might be the One
patiently waiting for you!
God is waiting to do incredible miracles all over the world. “The eyes of the Lord search the
whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2
Chronicles 16:9, NLT). I can assure you that God is very anxious to continue the great work that
was meant for your life. He wants to display his glory with all the noise and fanfare that should
go with such an event.
Take the step towards God. He is silently waiting to bless you with a life of miracles!
SILENT MIRACLE MAKING
So now you have repented and are living in your Father’s home once again. You are ready. You
are believing. You are praying. And all you hear is silence.
The Israelites knew this feeling all too well! After wandering through the wilderness for 40
years, they finally arrived at the gates of the Promised Land. They were ready. They had had
enough of waiting and sinning and repenting. It was time for their miracle. And then came the
order. “’Do not shout; do not even talk,’ Joshua commanded” (Joshua 6:10, NLT).
For six days the Israelites walked around their miracle in silence. Nothing happened. It was
dead silent. Their miracle was right in front of them. All it would take was for God to say the
word. But for six days and 98 kilometers God was silent. Until the seventh day!
We do not know what God was doing during those six days of silence. What needed to be in
place before the walls of Jericho could collapse? We do not know, but I am sure that He did
not keep silent for one minute longer than necessary. How do you think God might be busy
preparing for your miracle? What is He doing in silence while your miracle is staring you in the
face each day?
“At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60:22, NLT). I hope that you will find
peace in the silence before your great miracle.
SILENT PEACE
Silence and peace are often mentioned together. Peaceful holiday destinations are often
advertised by promises of quiet resting places. Travelers are invited to switch off the noises of
everyday living for a while. The Bible is no different. In Psalms 23, David describes the ultimate
peaceful breakaway. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green
pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.”
I wonder which noises were robbing David of peace on that specific day. In Mark 1:21-28, the
man who was possessed by an evil spirit certainly faced some annoying ones. The enemy
knows that the best way to rob us of peace is to take away silence. Blaise Pascal went as far
as saying, “All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”
Instead of feeling abandoned and anxious when you struggle to hear God’s voice, why not
embrace peace? He wants to lead you to the quiet waters where He is. He is waiting for you to
enjoy the peace that transcends human understanding.
You never know, your soul might be so refreshed that you emerge full of power on the other
side of silence!
SILENT POWER
We already know that we have unlimited power through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He
promised that we would do even greater works than Him if we remain in Him. But how do we
access that power?
By prayer! We follow the example of Jesus. He often sought out silence to be refreshed for the
next powerful display of God’s glory. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed”
(Luke 5:16, NLT). God’s silence creates the perfect opportunity for us to enter into his presence
by prayer.
That is exactly what Jesus instructed his disciples to do. “But when you pray, go into your
room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what
is done in secret, will reward you…” (Matthew 6:5-13, NLT). God is in the silent places. That is
where He hears prayers!
In moments of prayer when you embrace the silence, the greatest secret to the resurrection
power of Jesus Christ awaits. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10, NLT).