In the Silence

This message hit me like a ton of bricks last night as I was feeling sorry for myself and, quite honestly, complaining[grumbling] to God. It may come as a surprise, as I have been posting blog entries lately, but God has been rather quiet in my life the past few months. For me, this is the time when my faith is tested the most. What’s the point if life happens regardless of my prayers? Why even pray if He’s not going to answer? Does God even care because here I am reaching out and I feel like I’m getting nothing back!? The temptation to throw my hands in the air and give up in a fit of frustration is strong. I lose hope and that, my friends, is a dangerous place to be. I believe that it is at these times, not necessarily in despair, but hopeless, apathetic, bitter even, that we allow our passion for Christ to fade and slowly we walk away from the Lord. But is God ever really silent? No! He gave us His word, His living word that is a constant voice of wisdom, encouragement, and knowledge (Hebrews 4:12). In His word, He stresses the importance of fellowship again and again because often He speaks through others as opposed to an audible voice in our ear or a sudden revelation in a quiet moment. At the very least we receive encouragement from fellowship; a reminder that God is still very much alive and at work. Sometimes it takes seeing God working in someone else’s life to know that He is always working, always present, always good, always loving, always worthy, even if we can’t see or feel it at this time. We might not even realize that the bitter seed has been planted or that we’ve allowed a gap to form, and that’s satan’s plan. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Steal our hope, kill our joy, destroy our relationship. Be on your guard because the devil is always working, too. Thankfully, our God is greater. Jesus has already beaten satan and through our relationship with God we can declare and walk in victory over his schemes. So this is a reminder to myself, more than anything, but I thought that maybe some of you might need to be reminded, too. GOD IS THERE. If you’re feeling a little distant from God; a little lonely in your journey; a little shaken by the silence..immerse yourself in the Bible. Talk to your Jesus-loving friends. Prayer is powerful, yes. Don’t stop praying. But remember prayer is not the only avenue of communication or relationship with God.