This song expresses something that is rarely talked about in Christian circles: the Silence of God.
Is God Listening?
There have been many times when I have been overwhelmed by the silence of God. I have prayed fervently for someone or something and all I get in response to my prayers is the deafening silence of an empty room. It seems like my prayers have crashed into the ceiling of my room and tumbled back down to the floor. Is God listening? Does He really care about my concerns?
You are not alone in this feeling. Even the psalmists struggle with this question. Psalm 44 is a great example. In this psalm the poet even asks God to wake up!
Jesus, in Matthew 7:7-11 encourages us to remember that God is our Father and no good father would give his child a stone when asked for bread. And yet, why do I feel like I am only holding a silent and cold stone?
4 Action Steps When You Experience the Silence of God
So what can you do when you only hear silence?
- Choose Thanksgiving. Remind yourself of the blessings you have received from God (Philippians 4:4-9). Sometimes what we need most is a change of focus.
- Remember God Exists. Remind yourself of why you believe in God at all. I am a big proponent of apologetics - knowing why you believe. I am absolutely convinced that Christianity is the best answer to the worlds questions. So, sometimes we just need to remind ourselfs that we know God exists even if at this moment we don't feel like He cares.
- Look to Jesus. Hebrews 12:5 reminds us to "look to Jesus". God is love and Jesus is the proof (1 John 4:9-10). When you feel like God is far away or has just stopped listening, remind yourself that Jesus is all the proof you need of God's love. Nothing can separate me from God's love in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
- Choose Truth over Emotions. Emotions are good things, but they can easily lead us astray if we allow them to be the ruler of our life. You need to acknowledge your emotions and see if they are telling you something important, but you cannot let them override what you know to be true. God is love. He will not leave His child or ignore his cry.
When God is silent, hold on to the truth. God is there, He does care about your prayer and He will answer. But here is the part we don't want to hear: He will answer in His time and in His way.
Question: How do you handle the silence of God?
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory
Thank you, Dr. Wyrick. That was truly wonderful. 🙂