Season of Silence: Is God Hiding?
Are you going through a season of silence that seems endless? Encounters with God are few and far between or non-existent. At times in your Christian journey, silence prevails and there’s a reason.
Many powerful events happened in the Bible during the 4th watch (historically from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.). Two examples come to mind. Jacob wrestled with God and angels notified the shepherds that Jesus had been born.
As a result, God’s people became more spiritually alert. When the bridegroom seems like He’s far off and a long time coming, you remain ready to meet Him on His schedule. You’re like the five wise virgins who always kept oil available to trim their lamps (See Matthew 25:1-13). Night seasons stretch us when God is silent.
When you wait during a season of silence, you can’t see God working but He is. Fulfilling our God-intended purpose includes episodes of darkness where God asks us to trust Him for what comes next. Many times we wish for another, happier season but during night seasons we build our relationship with God while dreams seem to be on hold.
My Season of Silence (One of Many)
I found a best-hidden treasure during a night season I didn’t expect to find. God kept prompting me to find gold. I was all in because who doesn’t like gold? Except, I misunderstood what He said. After buying a metal detector, I looked for gold on our 11 acres. I found a lot of nails, soil that included iron, and old metal parts (our property once had an old house on it).
It didn’t take long to give up that physical pursuit but I actively sought God for answers. All the while, He seemed distant. Yet, supernatural thoughts surfaced in my spirit. They were His treasure hunt clues. Finally (after a couple of years), I realized what He wanted. God was the gold He wanted me to find. He desired that I think about Him the way I would about gold.
I didn’t then, but I do now.
And not by accident, I came across this scripture in Job 22:23 – 26.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God.
Season of Silent: What Do You Do When God Is Silent?
If you haven’t noticed yet, our ways aren’t like God’s—meaning we don’t reason as He does.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Christians are at a loss when life seems meaningless and God doesn’t seem nearby. When God seems absent, you should never trust your doubts. During the darkest times when life feels dormant and hollow, focus on God. That means continuing your spiritual journey as you always have. Keep praying, reading the Bible, praising God, and filling your heart with Christian music.
Keep waiting and trusting God. Eventually, the light dawns and long nights disappear. You discover that you didn’t lose your faith but gained precious ground with your Lord and Savior.
Likewise, keep this scripture in Psalm 112:4 close to your heart.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright (NIV).
Then too, don’t forget the Gospel message of hope. You have a new covenant promise with God. Namely, you have a real Savior you can go to and receive all that He has by faith.
Season of Silence: Take Steps of Faith Toward God
Is God hiding from you? No, He’s not although I can see Him playing hide and seek with His children (wink). Here are ways to endure God’s silence.
- Keep seeking Him: I pour out my heart and tell Him how much I love Him. By staying in His presence, I’m positioned to break through the silence and commune with Him again.
- Stay faithful: Unfavorable circumstances can dim faith quickly because they seem larger than God (our minds convince us of that). It’s hard to keep faith intact when you feel like you’re in a pit of despair. When I go through a tough season, I come out trusting God more than I ever had. For me, that was one of His purposes for staying silent.
- Walk through darkness: Sorrows and struggles can fast-track spiritual growth if you don’t fight God in the process. He may want you to grow up spiritually, face something about yourself you hadn’t seen, or learn to depend on Him more. Whatever the reason for living in the dark, just know He’s leading you out of a black hole into the light.
- Expect to go deeper with God: Our Lord does everything for a reason. He puts us through tests to refine our character so we’re unshakeable when facing adversity. He continues to work on Christians to make them more authentic, not churchy or goofy, but people who view Jesus as their most valued treasure.
The Silence of God Can Instill Hope for a Better Future
As you grow with God, you don’t go back to your old ways. God may reveal fake faith in you (Examples, Judas selling Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and Paul killing Christians). But don’t be alarmed at that. He knows everything about you, how much you can handle and the right time to withdraw. Believe me, He’s a Master at knowing how to grow His children. So, you can trust Him when going through a season of silence.
And don’t forget, God loves you more than anyone could. Stay patient and vigilant because when you come out of those uncomfortable seasons you won’t be the same person. Remember, God stays close to You even when You don’t sense His presence.
Seasons of silence are normal experiences for Christians. During those times, keep telling God how you feel and don’t stop moving forward. In time, God will break through the silence and provide earth-shaking counsel. His words won’t come a moment too soon, or late.