When God Seems Silent…
Have you ever tried to contact someone, whether via a text message, phone call, or some other way, and you can’t get hold of them? Maybe they don’t reply for a long time, or don’t respond at all. I know for me when that has happened, sometimes I can start to think things like, “have I done something wrong? Have I offended them in some way? Are they mad at me?” 99 times out of 100 that is not actually the case, but if I allow my mind to, I can still go in that direction.
Perhaps it has also been that way in your relationship with God. Have you had times or seasons in your life where God feels silent and like He’s not there, not responding or not listening? I know I have and continue to at times. And once again, when I have journeyed through seasons like this, I can so easily go to the same place – God is mad at me, He’s ignoring me, or I’ve offended Him in some way.
Somehow, I don’t think that situation is unique to me. But either way, when God is silent or seems silent, it can be an uncomfortable time. Can I start, though, by dispelling a myth that we can so easily believe? God’s silence, or perceived silence, is not a sign of His disapproval or disappointment. I’ll say that one more time as I believe this is so important. God’s silence, or perceived silence, is not a sign of His disapproval or disappointment.
The Bible tells us that God will NEVER leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13; Deuteronomy 31) and that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8). That doesn’t change no matter what, whether we feel like we’re hearing from God regularly or whether He seems silent.
As we look through the Scriptures, there are times and seasons where God is silent. David, who God called ‘a man after my own heart’, experienced these moments as we read passages like Psalm 13, which expresses David’s desperation to hear from God. Also, Job, who was a man who God looked upon favourably as a man of integrity and devotion to the Lord experienced a prolonged period of silence from God, which we can read about for most of the book of Job, as He petitioned God to answer him when he was experiencing the many hardships that he endured. Both men experienced God’s silence despite His approval of them.
There were also times that the nation of Israel experienced periods of silence. When we are introduced to the prophet Samuel as a boy, it says that at that time, messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions uncommon (1 Samuel 3:1). Also, the time period between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament (approximately 400 years) is known as the ‘period of silence’, when God didn’t directly speak to His people. 400 years is a long time!
As I’ve been reflecting on this and thinking about my own life, I’ve been wondering, how should we respond when God seems silent? Is there anything we can do? Well, I have a few suggestions that can hopefully encourage you if you are experiencing a time when God seems silent, because in those seasons, there are also many opportunities, which I will share with you.
1. It’s an opportunity to remember what He’s done in the past and the promises He’s made.
There is something powerful about remembering the promises that God has made. For me, it deepens my faith, it reminds me of God’s character and goodness, and it gives me hope that He will continue to lead and guide me into the future, no matter what happens.
During that 400-year period of silence between the Old and New Testaments, this is what happened with the Jews. The silence caused them to remember that way back in the days of Abraham, God promised that someone would come who would bless all nations. It caused them to remember the dreams and prophecies in the book of Daniel. It caused them to remember the words spoken about the Messiah throughout the Scriptures. And this built anticipation for what God was going to do as they entered a new season as a people.
Perhaps, if you’re going through a season where God seems silent, this is an opportunity to stop and reflect on what He has done in your life and the promises He has made to you personally. If you do, perhaps it will also build an anticipation for what God is still going to accomplish in and through you in seasons to come.
2. It’s an opportunity to soak in His presence.
As I said earlier, throughout Scripture God promises His people (that’s you and me) that He will never leave or forsake us. We are also told that we can boldly come to the throne of grace whenever we need to. On top of that, His presence lives inside of us. That doesn’t change whether God is speaking to us or not! Instead of believing the lies that God has abandoned you or is angry with you, why not spend time soaking and meditating on the reality that His presence is with you and in you?
It's such a common human tendency when we are angry with someone, or if we think someone is angry with us, to pull away. But our loving Father never does that. He is always pursuing us, no matter what.
I also believe that sitting in silence with someone can also be a sign of intimacy. Long car rides with someone you feel safe and comfortable with can be really special times, even when you are sitting together in each other’s presence in silence. Those times with God can be equally as special.
Sometimes when I feel like God is silent, I will picture myself sitting in front of His throne, or even on His lap. Other times, I imagine Jesus is sitting right next to me, perhaps as I am driving. I picture the way he lovingly enjoys my company in the silence, and I find whenever I do these things, I am filled with a renewed sense of peace.
Other times I might put on worship music and meditate on what the lyrics are saying about God and His nature. You might do the same, or maybe there are other ways you like to soak in God’s presence. If God feels silent, I encourage you to spend more time doing this.
3. It’s an opportunity to rest.
Sometimes God can be speaking so much it can feel like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. Other times, it can feel silent. But I have learned that, instead of thinking that God is mad at me, these can be sacred moments of rest. What I mean by that is I believe God can allow us to have seasons of silence so that the things He has been saying to us have time to sink into our hearts. Coming to understand this has helped me to start to embrace these seasons more wholeheartedly, instead of being afraid of them.
4. It’s an opportunity to hear from Him in new ways.
As I have journeyed with God, I have discovered new ways that He has been speaking to me. A few years ago I started having vivid dreams, and I just had a sense that they were from God, as I never normally recall having dreams in the night. As I started to explore more about dreams, asking people who have experience with dreams, reading books, and of course asking God about them, I discovered this was indeed the case, and noticed similar themes and threads in them that I believe have been from God.
I also began seeing repetitive number patterns, and once again, as I started to dig and research more about numbers, I discovered this whole new language that God uses to speak. I could share lots more about this, but that’s a post for another day!
I have also found there have been times that I see repetitive themes in creation, and God has been using those to speak to me in new ways as well.
I say all this to say, if you feel like God has been silent lately, perhaps it is not that He is necessarily being silent. Perhaps He is speaking to you in new ways that you are not yet familiar with, and He is inviting you to search those out, like a treasure hunt.
Some other practical ideas of things to do if God seems silent:
Make a list of ways that God has spoken to you in the past, and what He has said. When I do this, it often fills me with gratitude for those past moments and builds anticipation for what He is going to say in the future.
Search for new spiritual practices that you can learn and develop in your life (e.g., different types of prayer, lectio divina, journaling etc).
If you are afraid of the silence, feeling like God is angry or disappointed, use your imagination to picture yourself handing those worries and fears over to Jesus, and pay attention to what he does with those fears, his response, or see if he gives you anything in return.
Open your Bible, find a passage and start reading until something jumps off the page at you. Meditate on what this text is saying as you go about your day.
If God seems silent in your life right now, let me finish by reiterating that it will not last forever, God hasn’t left you, God is not angry or disappointed with you, and nothing can separate you from His love!