One of the strategies my children use to get stuff from me is to commit me to say something. To them, unless I say something or make a promise, the deal is not sealed. Sometimes, I keep silent about the matter for so long that they know I’m not consenting to it. They have learned never to mistake my silence for consent. You need the same wisdom in your walk with the Lord.
Friend, in your walk with the Lord, always remember that silence does not mean consent (Luke 15:12-13). I know a lot has been said and taught about divine communication and how to hear God’s voice. I believe we also need to teach people about divine silence and how to interpret such silence (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Sadly, a lot of people have presumed God’s mind by misinterpreting His silence.
Learning to interpret divine silence is as critical a skill as learning to hear God’s voice (Revelation 8:1). God does not speak every time and in every situation. If you meet anyone who claims to hear God on every matter, 24/7. You are either listening to a liar or someone opened to familiar spirits (Isaiah 8:19-20). God does not speak every time.
It is a mark of spiritual maturity to sincerely tell whom it may concern that God has not spoken on a matter (2 Kings 4:27). Dear child of God, admitting that God has not spoken on a matter does not reduce you. It actually shows your integrity. The voice of God must not be so cheap to you that you assume it for every situation. Unfortunately, today’s Christians always throw around statements like “God told me,” every now and then.
I have been taught to be very careful of people who have a “Thus saith the Lord” on every matter. Even in seeming casual conversations and everyday life, some people who want to bamboozle the unsuspecting with that line (1 John 4:1). God does speak. But He does not speak every time and on every matter. But what do we do when God is silent?
First, don’t give a voice to divine silence. Don’t cook up anything. Silence is silence (Lamentations 3:37). Secondly, when God has not spoken, stick with what He has told you before. God does not normally change His mind. We are the ones always looking for new revelations and instructions to the detriment of our destiny (Isaiah 8:19-20). Sometimes, God deliberately keeps silent because He expects you to know better (2 Corinthians 6:14). Stop asking God stupid questions! Amen!
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria