It’s inevitable. Tough times will come along during our lives. A pastor friend once told me something along these lines: “You’re either coming out of a time of struggle, in the midst of a difficult time, or heading toward a challenging time.” The Christian life (or any life) is not always a bed of roses—and the Bible doesn’t promise us a life free from trouble. This week, let’s take a Scriptural look at trusting God through difficult circumstances.
When God Seems Silent
“Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”
Psalm 22:2-3, NLT
I have experienced seasons in life when I felt like God was completely silent. I poured my heart out in prayer to God and nothing happened. I struggled to feel God’s presence, even though I clung to His promises to never leave me. There have been other times when I felt intimately close to God, like He was sitting right next to me.
How do we explain those times when God is seemingly silent? What happens when our prayers appear to go unheard or unanswered?
Yesterday, we talked about how God’s ways are different from our ways. This is one of those instances where we can’t read God’s mind. We may need to accept a season when we’re not hearing God as clearly as we have in the past. Through His silence, He may ask us to wait on His timing. Waiting can be very challenging, though, especially if we focus on our own plans and timetable.
Waiting is difficult, but it always has a purpose. Waiting has taught me to rely on God more fully. In some cases, my faith is stronger because some desires weren’t immediately fulfilled. I didn’t hear God for a time, but I didn’t give up on Him. We can learn to depend on God to give us peace and trust Him to bring good things, even if those things look different from what we expected.
In times of silence, it’s important not to become impatient and take matters into own our hands. I’ve made big mistakes when I chose to act rashly because I was tired of waiting on God to give me direction.
In the Bible, David sought God and had an intimate relationship with Him. Even though David made mistakes and sinned, He always ran back to God seeking forgiveness and restoration. Even considering David’s close relationship with God, he still experienced many instances of God’s silence (Psalm 109:1, Psalm 28:1, Psalm 83:1). Through it all, David praised the name of God and remembered His holiness. And God didn’t abandon or forsake David. In God’s own timing, He revealed His plans for David’s life.
Learning to trust God even when He is silent can be a huge step in our faith journey. And when we see the outcome, we can give all the credit to God:
“Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, Lord.” Psalm 109:27, NLT
Learning to trust more fully,
Allison
Staying in tune with God can be difficult. Especially when we don’t hear anything.
Sometimes, God is silent. During those times, the temptation to change the channel is great. We want to remedy the situation ourselves: search in other directions, fill the dead air with the sound of our own voice or the voices of others, or simply “thump” in frustration.