"FEELING THE SILENCE OF GOD"

"FEELING THE SILENCE OF GOD"

Psalms 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death

Psalms 28:1.Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

2.Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

I am not sure about all of you, but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God … asking Him for some kind of answer … and NOTHING!

NO response! NO answer! Just absolutely NOTHING!

SILENCE!!!

I have, at times, felt so let down … so hurt that I have prayed similar prayers to what David prayed in the verses we read!

I have cried, “God, where are you?”

Do you know what I heard? Nothing!!! 

Tell story of brother passing away

I was crushed … my faith was shaken … that was one time I felt the SILENCE OF GOD!!!

Best friend Joe passing away

I hear the deafening sound of THE SILENCE OF GOD … CRUSHED AGAIN!

I asked God, “WHY?” And do you know what I heard … “SILENCE.”

Other experiences....One door closing and waiting for another to open......*****daughter being molested by her grandfather*****

In April … I walked into a packed Funeral for my granddaughter.......that was one of the saddest days of my life … I'm a preacher who should have had the answers … only heard the SILENCE OF GOD … I could not offer hope, because I NEEDED HOPE AND HEALING!!!

I thank God that I have had prayers that where answered over my many years of serving God … many of them I have been HUGE answers!

But, alongside those immediate answered prayers are many other prayers which "didn’t get past the ceiling."

DID ALL THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY MEN IN THE BIBLE GET ANSWERED?

Moses begged God to let him lead his people into the Promised Land. Moses died on Nebo’s peak, his request refused.

Paul prayed three times for the removal of that "thorn in the flesh." Instead, he was compelled to make the best of it for the rest of his life … God did not answer!

Even Jesus himself in the garden cried out for release from the cross. Instead he had to suffer the pain of it.

Young person, there are going to be times in your devotional/prayer life where you hear God’s voice, but there will also be times when you feel the SILENCE OF GOD!!!

I want to share with you some simple thoughts on the SILENCE OF GOD!

1. WHEN YOU CAN’T HEAR HIM … KNOW

THAT HE IS ALWAYS LISTENING TO YOU

John 9:31 says that “he is ready to listen to those who worship him and do his will.”

Psalm 34:15 reads, “The Lord watches over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.”

Psalm 66:19 declares, “But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer!”

Have you ever wondered if God listens to your prayers?

Have you sometimes felt like it’s a waste of time, that the heavens are closed to your petitions?

Despite how you feel or what you might think, please be assured that God is listening.

He may be SILENT, but He is always listening!!!

2. WHEN YOU CAN’T HEAR HIM … DON’T ALWAYS BLAME YOURSELF FOR HIS SEEMING SILENCE

Friend, I have seen a lot of people beat themselves up … feeling like God has rejected them because they do not hear the VOICE of God!

Look into the life of David … the man “after God’s very heart” … he was always begging God to answer.

Psalm 4:1 … “Answer me, O God …”

Psalm 69:17 reads, “Don’t hide from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble.”

Psalm 13:1-3 says, “O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart everyday? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!”

David was a man after the heart of God, but he even felt the SILENCE OF GOD!

But it did not mean that David had abandoned the Lord … it did not mean that David failed God!

Young person, when you feel the SILENCE OF GOD … do not beat yourself up … do not let the enemy lie to you and say that you are a wicked person … “You are God’s chosen person … He loves you!”

3. WHEN YOU CAN’T HEAR HIM … NEVER FORGET THAT HIS ANSWER IS USUALLY FOUND IN HIS WRITTEN WORD

The Bible contains the answer to every area of your life … it is the fix all to life’s problems!

There are so many times in the life that we crave the SUPERNATURAL RESPONSES to our prayers … yes, they will come … but most often God responds to us through His Word!

John 1 teaches us that “The Word became human, and lived here on earth among us” (1:14).

That means … that IN Jesus are the answers! And where is Jesus revealed? IN The Word!

When is seems as though you are faced with THE SILENCE OF GOD … read the Word and you may just discover THE ANSWER!

Hebrews 1:1-2 reads, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son …”

God’s Son is The Word (John 1:1) … and if this is true, then God speaks to us through The Word!

4. WHEN YOU CAN’T HEAR HIM … HOLD ON

TO WHAT HE HAS ALREADY SAID

But this time … something was different … I WAS DIFFERENT!!!

Because God has already spoken to through HIS WORD … and this was the WORD God has given to you … “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

You see, I could not understand in my own mind what was going on, but I HEARD GOD SHOUT TO ME IN HIS WORD!!!

I held on to that … I was going to TRUST IN God no matter what …

Young person, when God speaks to you, HOLD ON to it … never forget the Word of God … because there will be other times when you do not hear Him … and in HIS SILENCE … you must have something to HOLD ON TO!!!

5. WHEN YOU CAN’T HEAR HIM … HANG IN THERE BECAUSE GOD HAS THE RIGHT PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

Jeremiah 29:11 teaches us that God has plans for our lives!

Psalm 102:17 reads, “The Lord listens to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.”

Many times we are asking God for things that we were never meant to have … things that are not a part of His perfect plan for our lives!

In those times, young person, IN HIS SILENCE … wait … because God has a great plan!!!

"Young mans story of moms cancer"

Then there are times, when you are faced with a HUGE problem … like I was in May of 1995 … when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and had to have immediate surgery … the day she told me I FELT THE SILENCE OF GOD … my mom went through the 6 hour surgery … 2 hours in recovery … 3 weeks in the hospital because of an infection … and was scheduled for radiation and chemotherapy!

I was crushed again! Feeling like God had abandoned my mom … who was never perfect … but who was always faithful and there!

The Church was praying … my family and friends were praying!

The SILENCE OF GOD was interrupted by the WORD OF GOD!

Matthew 8:8 … “Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.”

To the amazement of the doctors … NO CHEMO … NO RADIATION!

MY MOTHER WAS HEALED!!!

What was God’s plan for my mom’s cancer? That many doctors and nurses would hear about Jesus Christ and know that there is a GOD THAT ANSWERS!!!

When you feel like God is SILENT … wait … He does have the right plan!!!

CONCLUSION

There are going to be times when you are faced with the SILENCE OF GOD!

Young person, hang in there … hold on … because God is there!!!

JUST BECAUSE GOD IS SILENT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE DOES NOT LISTEN!!!

"Prayer is the means by which men communicate with God. Revelation is the means by which God communicates with men."

Marion G. Romney

"I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process."

Thomas Edison response to a reporter who asked how it felt to fail 2000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb.