in the silence
Do you ever feel like God is not really there? Like your going through all of these hard struggles and decisions, and God is nowhere to be found? I’ve had plenty of these moments. Moments of pure struggle where it feels like I'm all alone in this struggle. The story of Elijah and his fleeing from Jezebel is an example of a time when it felt as though God was silent. Elijah heard that Jezebel had threatened his life, so he ran.
Elijah began to complain about how he was being treated. Claiming that “I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:10). Then the Lord answer Elijah back saying, “The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-12).
This passage illustrates a time when it felt like God was silent but he was not. Elijah claimed that he was the only one left, but that wasn’t true. God had an army waiting for him so that he wasn’t alone. Even though it felt and looked as if God was not working, He was. He was making a way for Elijah so that he wouldn’t be alone and would have protection.
What looks and feels like God’s silence and inactivity is actually an opportunity to hear that still small voice and see the provisions of God that He has made for us through faith. There are times when we have to walk in obedience to the light that God has given us before He sheds more light on our path.
Genesis 22:13-14 says “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket, he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Issac, on the mountain. Even though Abraham loved his son so dearly, he was willing to be obedient to God. Because of Abraham’s willingness, He did not have to sacrifice his son. I have a hard time wrapping my head around this story. I don’t know what I’d do if God had asked me to sacrifice my child. But it is a beautiful illustration of what it looks like to be wholeheartedly obedient to God. Even when it doesn’t make sense and even when it feels as though He’s not even there.
We serve the God of provision. In the past couple of months of my life, that has been so very evident. My phrase for the year is the God of provision. He is Jehovah Jireh. He’s not silent. He’s not absent, He’s right there with you providing for you. Placing you in circumstances that end in results better than you could’ve ever imagined or dreamed of. But sometimes you gotta go through the silence. In the silence, you learn to hear that still small voice, you learn to tune out the messages of the world, and you learn to walk in faithful obedience to God.
