What Is God Doing in Times When He Is Silent?

What do you do when you do not hear His reply?

Where is God when we need Him most? What is His answer to our heart’s greatest cry?

“Why do you stand far off, LORD?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
— Psalm 13, WEBBE

This is a time when even the strongest faith would be tested. This is a time when we’d come to God in prayer and ask Him for our most urgent needs. But like the apostles in the first Holy Week, we may not see God’s response to our answers immediately. In fact, what we may experience is quite the opposite. A day of silence and of darkness. A day when we’d all be scattered with our doubts as we all feel that God is far away.

Sometimes, the hardest thing we could ever experience in our relationships is not when our loved one is arguing with us; it’s when he or she is silent. Why does he not talk? What could he be feeling at the moment? Is there something I did that hurt him?

Moments of silence are so painful that we just want it to be over right away. Many times, our instinct is to nag the other person so we can finally draw him out into talking with us.

But there are times when even silence is necessary. And the same is true when we cannot seem to hear the voice of God.

There are times when all that we could hear is the silence of God. We want Him to tell us what to do. We need Him to answer the many questions we have. We desire to hear His voice of comfort, telling us we need not worry or fret. But all that we hear is His silence.

Why does He not speak? Why does He not tell us He is going to answer our prayers? Why does He seem so far away?

In times when we cannot hear, may we listen to faith, and may we hold on to hope.

God’s silence does not mean He does not love us. God’s silence does not mean He doesn’t care.

But His silence is love itself, wisdom itself. It is to work in us something that can only be accomplished without noise.

The sun rises each day without the need for trumpet or sound, but it blesses the whole world as it makes the seeds grow and the flowers blossom, giving warmth and life to all.

Let us not be discouraged by God’s silence. Let us not think that love has vanished just because it could not be heard.

For God’s love is ever constant. He who watches over us night and day knows truly what we’re going through.

Even in times when He is silent, He is accomplishing for us much more than we could ever understand. For He is there. He is supporting us with unseen hands.

How difficult it is to hold back our answers from those we love the most! What strength is needed to keep ourselves from giving in too soon, lest we spoil the best gifts we desire to bestow.

But God is strong. And God is kind. His kindness is more than our own kindness. His silence is as beautiful as His replies.

When God Speaks Through Silence

God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through our various circumstances, through the people we meet, and through the Bible. But it isn’t the words He speaks to us that cause our difficulty. It is His silence that is often unbearable.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, WEBBE) Didn’t we cry out the same thing when it was darkest in our lives?

We wanted to hear Him speak to us, to encourage us, to tell us something that would put a little light where we are, and yet sometimes, all we could hear is His silence.

What I’ve realized however is that God continues to speak to us even in His silence. It may not be easy to understand, but after the trial, we’d discover how valuable that silence was. Without that silence, we may not be able to hear His most important lessons for us.

What are some of the things God could be saying in His silence?

-It is not yet time.

-I want you to rest for now.

-I want you to trust me more.

-I am watching you now as you grow.

-I have a plan.

-Give me time to accomplish what you cannot do on your own.

“When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” — Revelation 8, WEBBE