Push through the Silence
Hey Good People,
Have you ever been in a place where you really needed a moment of clarity and some type of confirmation that you were on the right track? Ever felt you needed a head nod of approval? Looked for some sign of assurance that the light at the end of the tunnel was somewhere in the distance?
Maybe you’ve prayed: “God, is this what I should be doing?” Or, “God, will this lead to my expected end?” How about, “God, are you there? Do you hear me?”
Only to receive this response in turn… (Silence)
You get nothing. It’s like God really is not there.
I found myself recently scrambling to hear from God on a particular desire of my heart that I have had for years. Every time I prayed about it there was silence. I mean a deafening silence. I got frustrated, felt sad, experienced anxiety and my most recent emotion was complete rejection. I don’t recall if I actually verbalized this thought or not but the thought of “God must not want me to ask Him about this anymore” definitely infiltrated my mind.
I have courage knowing that I am not the only one who has ever felt this way. The prophet Isaiah asked God a similar question;
“Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?” –Isaiah 62:12 ESV.
And I’m writing this so you know that you are not alone if you are also in a silent space with God.
For me, it wasn’t until God randomly answered my years worth of prayers within a five-minute conversation with my husband. It was so clear that God had been listening the entire time because my husband spoke the very words that I had prayed so many times over. I get chills just thinking about it. In that moment, there was a release from my heart that only God heard that said, “God you were listening.” Of course He was!
Sometimes we have to push through the silence and be content in the silent space. I think we can forget that God knows us better than we know ourselves. If we really walked in that confidence, we wouldn’t question Him as much as we do. God knows me; I mean He knows the innermost parts of Tam that I haven’t even tapped into yet. So, of course He knows that if He told me every little detail I wouldn’t know how to act! If I were honest, I would only ask more questions. Ha! But that shows the matter of my heart, right? This proves that I have to trust God more. I have to depend on Him more. Be confident that He’s going to take care of every detail. Be content with the portion He has graced me with because He knows that’s what I can handle right now. Love on Him even when I feel like He’s not near.
(Yall, it is so ironic that in this moment as I type, Tori Kelly’s song Soul Anthem is playing in the background… You know the part where she sings “You make it well” and then the choir comes in with “It is well with my soul!” Man, God is so sovereign!)
Silence doesn’t mean He’s not there.
Push through it. He could be stretching your prayer life. Are you willing to pray for others when you feel like your own prayers aren’t being answered?
Push through it. Maybe He wants to see where your trust truly lies.
Push through it. It might not be time yet.
Push through it. There could be some character development happening.
Push through the silence; God is listening.
Be content in that fact and always remember your portion has purpose.
With Love,
Tam