When God is Silent

Posted on March 4, 2007
Filed Under Your Faith |

By Rachel Larkin

I was asked at Church to share a part of my testimony - basically sharing about my spiritual life.

I shared on “When God is Silent” - which seemed to be a popular topic , so I thought I would share it with you all. Here is the transcript. I would love any comments - has there been periods of time in your life that God was Silent?

“My Testimony is not really about how I came to know God and his plan to save me through Jesus Christ but more about my growth as a Christian.

How I have learnt to listen to God and how, through experience, I have come to know God more.

God has taught me so much!

So far, some lessons have taken me quite a while to learn but He is faithful and will continue with each lesson until my life conforms more to His.

There have been a number of times in my life where God has seemed to be silent.

What do I mean by God being silent?

Well for example, reading His word seems to change from a joyful task where I am receiving rhema words and direction and guidance to times where God’s word seems dry and God seems to be distant.
Times where I have lacked vision and purpose and the daily tasks of my life become mundane and it becomes a real effort to pray.

What I have learnt from these seemingly dry silent times is to stop and ask myself FOUR questions to pinpoint the reason behind the silence.

1. Am I in a position to listen?

It’s no use saying God doesn’t speak to me if I am not in a position to listen!

What I mean by a position to listen is –

Am I continuing to read His word?
Am I continuing to meet up with other Christians regularly?
Is there unconfessed sin in my life?

I have to be in a position to listen before God can speak to me.

2. To go back in time to the last direction or guidance that God showed me.

Was there something I had to do or
An attitude I had to get rid off or put on?
Did I do it?

God may be silent because before He can more us forward he wants us to obey his last instruction.
He is into a step by step type process. When it comes to growth HE doesn’t want us to skip any of the steps.

3. Am I grumbling, moaning, discontented with where I am at?

This has taken me quite a while to learn!
It hurts God’s father’s heart to hear his children moaning about their life just like it hurts a parent if their child doesn’t like a present you gave them.

The Israelites are a perfect example of this and it took them quite a few lessons and years to learn not to grumble.
The Israelites in the desert kept wanting more and more from God – they were not content with what God was providing.

God was giving them heavenly bread – manna – which they didn’t have to cook or grow; it just fell out of the sky. This bread was awesome stuff. It was similar to the bread that God gave Elijah and after Elijah ate it he ran for 40 days and 40 nights. But the Israelites were getting sick of it and they wanted meat. So they moaned and grumbled. So God gave it to them but then he killed all their best men because of their grumbling.
It says in Psalm 106 v 12 – 15 “Then they believed His words they sang His praise BUT they soon forgot His works. They waited not for His counsel but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and He gave them leanness into their soul.”

Maybe the leanness or dryness that we experience is because we have forgotten Gods words in our life, we aren’t waiting for His counsel and we are discontented and want more of things.

OK, so what if I can say honestly that –

I am in a position to listen,
yes, I have obeyed God in the last direction He gave me
And I am content and I am not grumbling?

What is the answer then?

Well, the answer is to PRESS ON!

Move forward!

Keep trusting that God is listening.

I have to keep believing the words that I am reading in the bible

I have to keep praying.

I have to become more determined

I have to say with Paul who wrote in Phil 3 v 12 “But I press on to lay hold of and make my own…”

If there is an unanswered promise that God has given me – I need to press on and lay hold of that promise and fulfill any conditions.

I need to use the scripture as a prayer back to God
I have to continue on in my vision, in my Christian walk, believing that God will open a door for me or lead me out of the dark tunnel that I am in.

Phil 1 v 10 says “I want to learn to sense what is vital and approve and praise what is excellent and of real value”

I want to find out what is vital in my life and hold onto it and keep in a position of listening to God and God who is faithful will speak to my heart and your heart also.

Maybe right now, during this time of worship – it can be an opportunity for all of us to reevaluate where we are at –

Are you in a position to listen to God?
Are you discontented?
Is there something you need to obey before God will move you onto the next step?
Or do you just need to hold onto what is vital and press forward?”

Feel free to leave a comment - Has God seemed silent to you in the past?

Rachel Larkin currently resides in New Zealand with her soul mate, Noel and their three awesome boys (aged 9 to 5). Rachel worked in the corporate world for ten years as a Chartered Accountant before coming home to homeschool her children. She has a passion for inspiring and encouraging women to partake of all that God has for them. Check out her website: http://www.Rachel-Larkin.com for more encouraging articles and Freebies.