When God Is Silent

PREVIEW: You’ve had moments when you dared to be brutally honest with God. You said something to the effect, “God, where are you? You’re really letting me down!” Or worse! Don’t worry, Jesus had a moment like that, too: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But Jesus would remind us that the best part of our walk with God is not what he does for us, as glorious as that may be, it is what he does in us! And those best things, faith, humility, trust, and Christlikeness, are best forged in the crucible of silence.

A JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 74:9

Have you ever talked to God like the writer of this psalm did? I have! There have been times of desperation in my life that led me to frustration with God—when a loved one was on her death-bed, when a conflict arose that seemed to have no resolution, when a financial need was staring me in the eyes and I had absolutely no answer for it; when an attack came from out of nowhere that just sucked the life out of me.

You’ve had those moments, too. And if we dared to be brutally honest with God, we said something to the effect, “God, where are you? You are really letting me down on this one!” Or worse! Don’t worry, Jesus had a moment like that: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

Perhaps your desperate cry to God has been more general—like the one in this particular verse. Your holy discontent has led you to prayerfully complain to God that he never seems to show up in his power and glory, with signs, wonders, and miracles, as he did in days of old—and there seems to be no indication that he will anytime soon. You are desperate for God, but he doesn’t seem desperate for you.

The writer of this psalm most likely penned this prayerful lament after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. The Jews were deported to Babylon, the Holy Land had been overrun and defiled by pagans, and God’s people were in a bad way—with no end in sight. Worst of all, God was silent—he wasn’t acting (“no miracles”), he wasn’t talking (“no prophets”), and there was no game plan except for more of the same (“we don’t know how long this will be”).

So, the psalmist poured out his complaint—which is always a good thing. And even though it wasn’t in this psalm, God did give his people some profound advice (I guess his advice is always profound since, after all, he is God) through a prophet who served around the same time as the Palmist. His words are recorded in Jeremiah 29:1-23. I hope you will take the time to read them.

Of course, this passage contains the verse that everyone loves: Jeremiah 29:11—I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and give you a hope and a future. But read the context. God is, in essence, saying to them, “This difficult time is going to take a while, and yes, I will see you through it. But in the meantime, bloom where I’ve planted you. Even though you don’t hear me or see me, I am still at work. I’m doing my part, so you do your part by staying faithful and useful to me.”

Here’s the deal: The best part of our walk with God is not what he does for us, as glorious as that may be, it is what he does in us! Faith, humility, trust, and Christlikeness are best forged in the crucible of adversity. God has done that with all the greats—Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Elijah, Job, Daniel, and Paul. And with each of those spiritual heroes, part of the crucible included God’s silence. As Oswald Chambers called silence “the first sign of his intimacy,” noting that,

God’s silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself.

Are you frustrated with God’s silence in your time of desperation and adversity? Why should you be any different than the greats of our faith? Out of the fire of adversity, including the silence of God, comes deeper understanding and intimacy with God, along with the fruit of righteousness. So, while frustrating times seem to last far too long, fruitful people are those who have endured through them while trusting God to do his work … no matter how long it takes.