The Silence of God

Healing of The Spirit

Chris Tomlin with - Good Good Father

THE SILENCE OF GOD AND THE SUFFERING MAN

The silence of God can be one of the most unnerving, maddening, and desolate places to be. A feeling as though we have been led out to the desert, only to be abandoned and forsaken. The silence equally as great as the affliction. Our lamenting landing on deaf ears. Unable to understand why God is not responding to our cries, can produce an anger that is in great need of healing in our hearts. Why are you silent, oh God? Why do you not hear when I call? Where are you? As a result, His silence produces a shaking of our trust that many find difficult to overcome.

We are not alone! Great men of the Bible have cried out to God about His silence - David, Job, and Jeremiah. Their own anguish and suffering met with silence. But crying out and condemning are two different things.

In the midst of that painful silence, there is a truth that cannot be shaken. A truth that is the foundation of everything. HE is the perfect one, HE is the one who can never be wrong or make a mistake.

So the obvious question begs to be asked, “Why then do we humans become angry and accuse the One who is perfect of wrongdoing? Why aren’t we, instead, questioning OUR own hearts for the cause of God’s silence.

God spoke to Job out of the silence, “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”

“Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?”

Job 40:2, 8

I have condemned God to justify myself more times than I can count. God has had to discipline me in order to cleanse this spirit from my heart. And it tries to raise its ugly head when He is silent. It is an inability to fully trust my good, good Father. It is a spirit that came through the door when my earthy father walked out the door. And it was that same spirit that tempted me into turning my back on God as a young adult. And I took the bait.

Here are some scriptural reasons for God’s silence.

1.When we are unrepentant, He is silent. Our sins have separated us from Him and He will not hear our cries and prayers.

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your

sins have hidden His face from you, so that he will not hear.

Isaiah 59:1-2

2. When we do not listen, neither does He. That’s fair!

While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer. So do you not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.

Jeremiah 7:13, 16.

“When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,” says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 7:13.

These verses, Proverbs 1:20-33, are too long to print, but it talks about when we ignore God’s wisdom, rebuke and advice, He will not listen to our cries for help when calamity strikes. Ouchi, mama that was me!

3. He is asking us to trust the promise, trust His Word. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Then he taught me, and he said to me, take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

Proverbs 4:4.

4. He longs for us to desire Him with our whole heart, mind and strength. Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5

5. He wants us to cry out for His wisdom. Proverbs 2:1-12

Peace comes when we begin to understand the reason for the silence of God. And when He speaks out of the silence, it is healing to our spirit.