WHEN GOD IS SILENT

"... he answered her not a word." - Matthew 15:23

"Silence is golden." That old statement seems to hold true in our society today. It seems like there is always something going on to keep a person from enjoying tranquility. A phone rings. A dog barks. A noisy car passes by. Someone knocks at the door. A man can hardly enjoy peace and quiet in his own home these days.

There are times when silence is not golden. When you anxiously await news on a friend's medical condition or learn the outcome of a job interview. At moments like this, you want the silence to be broken.

The worst form of silence comes when you await an answer from God. When you desperately pray about a dire need and receive nothing but silence from God, it is difficult. That was the case for a mother from Canaan. She came to Jesus seeking a miracle for her daughter. In spite of her plea, the Bible says that Jesus, "... answered her not a word."

Perhaps you are going through such a time in your life. Maybe you are praying desperately for something, yet God remains silent.

Don't mistake God's silence for apathy. God knows your need and the degree of pain you are enduring. Be assured that He is fully aware of your concern. He certainly knows when your heart is breaking.

So why does He remain silent, especially when we seem to need Him most? There may be a number of reasons for His silence, but let's consider just a few possible reasons.

1. TIMING

First of all, it may be that the timing isn't right. You see, God does not operate according to our schedule. He is working out the timing of many situations, some we are totally unaware of. When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, Jesus did not show up when they thought He should. They thought he was late --- but He was actually on time.

2. TRAINING

A second reason that God may be silent to our cries is that He may be training us for something to come. That was the case for Joseph in the Old Testament. The man was betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and wrongly imprisoned for years. God seemed silent in spite of all the injustice that happened. Yet I believe that Joseph was being prepared for leadership. To say the least, when he blurted out his dreams as a young person, he wasn't ready for leadership. God often uses hardships to mold us into a person He can use at a future time. That was the case for Joseph.

3. TESTING

God may remain silent in order to test us. Our faith needs to be tested. God tested Abraham's faith when God told him to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. I believe that Job had his faith tested by adversity. Job struggled because God remained silent. At the end of the story, God spoke, but it wasn't until Job and his faith faced the refining fire. That is often the case for us. Adrian Rogers once said, "A faith that's not be tested can't be trusted. Jesus was silent when the Canaanite woman begged for help. I believe her faith was tested. You may find your faith being tested often, too. Faith, like a rubber band, can only be tested when it is stretched.

4. TRUSTING

There are times when God remains silent during our adversity and never reveals why. These are simply times we must trust Him. Someone once said, "If we cannot see His hand, we can trust His heart." The Bible says, "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God" (Deuteronomy 29:29). There are certain things that God will not reveal to us while we live on earth. Some of the most heartbreaking experiences seem to defy explanation. God reserves the right to remain silent, if He so chooses. While such times may hurt deeply, we can trust Him in those circumstances.

Perhaps you are going through a trial right now and God seems silent as you beg for help. Keep trusting Him. Keep praying. Keep doing right. Whether God ever reveals the reason for your trials --- or His silence --- you should know that He is omniscient and is in control.

God is trustworthy. So trust Him, even when He remains silent.