We all have experienced times in our life’s where we wonder why God is so quiet. If he would only speak then I can know what he wants me to do.
I have had times in my life where I faced major decisions and found that at those times when I needed Him to speak the most, God was quiet. What do we do when God is quiet?
The first thing I have learned about God is that he never changes. Hebrew 13:8 says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Malachi 3:6 says that He is God and that he does not change. ” For I am the Lord and I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.” The obvious question to ask ourselves would be: What about God never changes?
Everything around us changes. Nothing in our world stay the same. The only constant that never changes is God. So what about God never changes? I know He changed his mind when He wanted to destroy Nineveh. He send Jonah the prophet to declare to them that He is going to destroy their city. Then in the story they turn their hearts to God, repent from their sin and God sends Jonah back to tell them He will not do it anymore. Let’s see what about God is a constant.
The first thing I discovered about God is when it comes to his essence and his character, He is unchangeable. As a matter of fact his character is predictable. God is love and that can and will never change – 1 John 4:8. The way He loved me when I was still a sinner is the same way He loves me now that I am a son. His ability to be gracious and kind, his ability to redeem and save never changes. In his essence He is unchangeable and totally predictable. I know that if I sin, He will still love me. I know if I make a mistake, He will make it work towards my own good.
The second thing I learned about God is that even though He is predictable in his character, He is totally unpredictable in the way He will do things. God tells Joshua to make the people walk around Jericho for seven days and they will win the victory. Nobody could predict that. That is just not the way you win a city. Moses will deliver three million slaves with a stick and a stutter. No one could predict that. Normally kings would conquer their enemy, not a shepherd. God overcomes death and sin by having his own son killed. How do you defeat death by dying yourself? If the enemy knew what God would do through Jesus he would not have killed Jesus – 1 Cor 2:8. The enemy could not predict that God would do that. In his acts, the way He does things, God is completely unpredictable.
So the next question to ask would be: “What have we done in Church?” We have created the opposite of what God is and does. God is predictable in his character but unpredictable in his acts. The Church is filled with people that have created a predictable service(worship, a sermon and then prayer) and have become unpredictable in their character.
How many times do we hear people say that the church is full of hypocrites. Imagine what kind of impact the Church can have on the world if sinners come to Church and find a people that is predictable in their character, they love well and they extend grace well, and they are okay when God shows up and change their program.
So why is God silent? In times when I need him most to speak He chooses to be silent because He wants me to learn that I can trust his character even if I don’t hear from him. When He is quiet, I get to trust his word. I trust that He will step up and direct me when I make the wrong decision. Paul wanted to go to Asia but the Holy Spirit prevented them. As mature sons and daughters we learn that we can trust him to direct us when we need it.
Do I ask God to speak into everything I want to do or decide. That would be a sign of immaturity. Most people only ask, not because they have faith, but because it can give them a predictable outcome. You learn to put your trust in circumstances instead of trusting in his character and who He really is.
Can we create a “Snooze button christianity.” When people set their alarm, most will push the snooze button without ever wondering if the alarm will go off again in ten minutes. The snooze button on their alarm clock has gotten them to completely trust it. Do we trust God like we trust our snooze button?
Why do we struggle to trust God and his character? The second temptation Jesus faced was satan tempting Him to see if He would trust God to keep his word. The enemy wants us to question God’s integrity. If God’s integrity is questionable then so is our salvation. Let me clearly state that God’s integrity has never been questionable. He is unchanging in his character. Maybe we should develop some snooze button christianity where we trust that He will alarm us when we need to be alarmed. From here on out I totally trust who He is, no matter how He chooses to do it.
