“But he answered her not a word.” - Matthew 15:23
In our moments of desperation, we tend to cry out to God for help. Our most earnest prayers come from a pit of despair. Our petitions tend to be very sincere and specific in such moments. Yet there have been times that our frantic pleas were met with silence from above. There are times in such moments that He chooses to be silent. We feel as though a wall has separated us from Him. It almost feels the veil of the temple has been put back in place. Our access to God feels severed. Our prayers feel like words bouncing off the ceiling. In spite of our desperate situation, God seems to remain silent.
There are times we feel this way because we are not receiving the answers that we desire. We cry out aloud, but God may answer in a whisper. We look for a miracle, but He provides mercy instead. We seek for healing, but He provides comfort. In these situations, we often look back and see what God has done and give Him thanks. But at the time, we feel like He has let us down.
At other times, silence is all we receive from Him. In our text, a lady comes begging Jesus for the deliverance of her daughter. She needs a miracle desperately. She knows that Jesus can provide it. This is her one and only chance to get help for her child. In spite of her plea, Jesus did not answer her a word.
Perhaps you can identify with this. Maybe you are currently going through private pain. You have been praying for God to resolve a situation, but no answer has come.
As mere humans, we cannot fully comprehend the ways of God. It is not my intention to explain God's actions. I am not God. He is. He is sovereign. He does not come to any of us for consultation. Since He is Lord of all, He can do whatever He wishes. I cannot explain why the Lord may be silent in spite of your predicament and pleas.
So what should we do in those times when heaven seems silent? What should be our response when the Lord seems to hide His face from us? I am not an expert on this, but I do wish to offer some practical tips.
First of all, we must understand that such times do come to God's people. Even the most committed Christian may face times of divine silence. Job was a God-fearing man. Job was a man whom the Lord even commended. Yet when Job faced great suffering and heartache, he cried out to God and God seemed silent for such a long period of time.
Secondly, we must look within. Is some sin hindering our prayers? Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” We need to ask ourselves if there resides within us a sin that we need to repent of. Sin may be keeping our prayers from being answered.
Third, we should recognize the smaller things around us. God may be doing things that we are overlooking. In your time of pain or grief, you may have Christian friends who are praying for you, supporting you and available to help. Have you ever thought that such friends are a gift from the Lord? Grace may come in different ways. God may be doing much more than you are giving Him credit for.
Also, we need to embrace the spiritual discipline of waiting. We live in a right-now culture. We expect immediate results all the time. The psalmist advises us, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” As I once wrote in a song, “The best things in life are worth waiting for.”
Furthermore, we need to practice persistence in prayer. Keep praying until an answer comes. It has been said that God's delays are not necessarily denials. It could be you are one prayer away from a breakthrough.
Finally, we need to trust God during the times of divine silence. Faith includes trusting God during times of uncertainty. Charles Spurgeon once said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
God's silence does not mean that He doesn't care. Neither does it mean that He has quit working. Even when things seem out of control, He is still on the throne.
Be comforted in this fact: God is good and He is in control.
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