When God Doesn't Speak

Rob Kaczmarek
Written By Jeff Rybacki
 

“Will You keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?”

Isaiah 64:12b

My kids have decided to revive hide and seek during this time when we are all staying at home. It gets tricky because they know all the good hiding spots already and it seems like the winner will be the one who can be most creative in hiding. Greta, my youngest, has a special rule, however, and she takes advantage of it...making Seth, a few years older, a little frustrated at times. Her rule is that when she has looked in a couple places she can yell out, “Give me a noise!” and the others who are playing have to make some sort of loud “call” to tip off where they are.

This little game made me think of what many of us are no doubt experiencing. We feel like we are in the middle of hide and seek with God and we can’t find him. So we call out, “God, give me a word!” But no word comes. We can in this moment of silence feel alone and abandoned. We feel like Isaiah, that God’s silence is worse than any other punishment He could give. At least if it was some other punishment we would still hear His comforting voice. But silence! Silence can be unbearable.

This is when we need to remember these words of Christ, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.” When God stops talking, we need to start leaning in to listen. Like a very patient parent, He chooses not to talk over us. He becomes quiet. And then when we realize He stopped talking, WE stop talking.

This time of COVID has taught me that in hard circumstances I tend to talk a lot. Why is this happening? What are you doing in this? How are we to gather now? How long will we be stuck inside? I can’t handle the same thing over and over every day! I don’t like talking to a camera. Where are you God? What are we supposed to do? Do more? Do less? Create more ways to connect to others? Be at rest and be still? What chapter? What verse? And on and on I go.

But God, being rich in mercy and as the One who loves with an everlasting love decides the best thing at different moments of our life is to be quiet. When I tune in and sense His quietness, I become quiet. And in time, my mind stops thinking about the world and rests on God, the Creator of the world. His voice isn’t in the wind (changing of circumstances), it’s not in the earthquake (the upheaval of life), it isn't in the fire (the emotions of the heart), it’s in the whisper (the nearness of his presence). (1 Kings 19, Elisha hears from God on Horeb). (You’re going to want to click on that link for a favorite song of mine. At least I think you should.)

God’s comforting voice comes when we need it. And even if He doesn’t speak for a while, we can take comfort knowing that we are sitting with Him. We are in His presence and that is enough. But His presence, while enough, will be accompanied with His Word, the still small voice. His being quiet is not to punish us, but to invite us into His presence. So now, we sit like two guys on the front stoop watching the world go by. And interceding for it together. Now that is good company! Take comfort in Him.   

Listen to “Life’s Noise” by Bluetree, a great band out of Belfast. They get it.


Jeff Rybacki
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