I love quietness, so when I’m home alone, you might not hear my voice. One day, my daughters came home from school and didn’t see my car as it was at the mechanic. They thought I wasn’t at home due to the silence. But when they found me inside, they were surprised and joyful. They screamed and hugged me. I learnt that God’s silence does not mean absence.
Friend, you must learn to decipher God’s silence from absence (1 Kings 19:11-13). A lot of times, when you think that God is absent, He is only silent but not absent. In a world where noises and activities have defined productivity, we must be careful that we don’t import such ideas into our Christian walk (John 21:21-25).
A lot of Christians today do not believe that God is at work in their lives when there are no dramas or gymnastics (Philippians 2:13). This is why people do not consider a church or service powerful if there are no noises and vibes. It is the same reason we fill our quiet time with God with noises that we call prayer instead of carving out time to be still and know that He is God (Psalms 46:10).
Listen, there would be moments in your life when it seems God is doing nothing. But those moments may be the moments when He is doing the most (Luke 1:80). God’s potent works are often done in silence, and you had better known this early in your Christian walk, else you miss God by some miles (Luke 19:44).
As a Christian, you need to be assured of God’s presence always. This is His commitment to His saints (Hebrews 13:5). His presence is constant. Even when He’s not saying anything, His watchful eyes are all over you, ensuring that no harm comes near you and that you do not veer off His plans and purpose for your life.* Don’t allow the devil or situations to make you doubt His presence (Romans 8:28-30).
God is saying something even when He’s not saying anything (Genesis 3:8). He may be telling you to continue what you are doing as you await the next instruction. He may also be telling you to retrace your steps and realign with His purpose for your life. For Abraham, it was to communicate to him that He did not approve of Ishmael (Genesis 17:1). What is that Ishmael that is making God silent over your life?
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria