When God is Silent

In my previous post, I wrote about what happens when you feel like you are doing your best - staying accountable, walking uprightly - and yet God feels silent. What happens when you’re doing everything “right”, but things still feel hard?  How do you feel when effort doesn’t immediately produce results, or obedience feels unrewarded?

Today, let’s talk realistically about what happens when we feel God is silent.

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The other day, I was reflecting on Job, and his friends - Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad - and all the conversations they had with him. I was particularly drawn to Job 21 when Job replied Zophar. The chapter stirred something in me, making me ask deep questions, and I want to share them with you. 

 What do you do when God is silent?

Scratch that. Let me rephrase:

Has God ever gone silent on you?

Like cold-turkey silent. No signal whatsoever.

Job was at the point in his life where he really needed God to speak up - but God did not. How would you feel if you were Job?

Let’s walk together.

You have followed the Holy Book, no cutting corners. No shortcuts. You genuinely love God and try to live right. Then…God places a bet on you.

Ha!

First of all, can God place a bet on you?

And when you cry out to God, and He doesn't respond when you need Him the most, what do you do?

Do you:

• Ignore Him too? (Two can play the game)
• Move on. (Because I don't have time for this)
• Or wait 

Quick Poll. Please be honest.

I had to think long and hard about my answers and how my heart  responds in moments like this.

Job's friends didn't make it easier. They didn’t understand what he was going through, and instead of being quiet and sitting with him in silence, they assumed he must have sinned. Honestly, I can't blame them. In those days, the kind of suffering Job experienced was only associated with people who committed grave sins.

So they badgered him: “Bros, if you haven't sinned, then why is God punishing you like this?” “You must have done something wrong, you probably don't remember, or you are pretending”. “You are two-faced and won't admit that you have sinned”. 

Let’s face it - they probably felt a little relief. Relief that the “good man” wasn’t so good after all. Relief that Job was flawed, just like them.

But Job was broken.

His friends didn't believe him.

God - who could have vindicated him - was loudly silent.

It was a painful season.

Job almost gave up. He said some harsh things about God and about his own life, even cursing the day of his birth. I honestly understood how broken he was.

There was a season in my own life when God was silent. It was deeply painful.  As angry and confused as I was, I couldn't leave Him. I stayed. I had - and still have - nowhere else to go! This is by choice.

The story of Job will test:

• Your knowledge of God.
• Your patience
• And everything you think you understand about God.

The beautiful thing is that God did eventually show up. He restored everything Job lost and gave him double for His trouble. 

Which brings me to another uncomfortable question:

How long can you wait on God?

(Today, I came with small violence to shake tables😌)

If God doesn't answer you when you call, how long can you wait?

And while you are waiting, what do you do with your heart?

We will conclude this story with the next post.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose - Romans 8:28