Imagine eighty-year old Moses, tending sheep on a mountainside, just as he had for the previous 14,600 days (forty years)—give or take a few. He had absolutely no reason to think this day would be different from the thousands before.
But it was.
This was the day he spotted the burning bush and God spoke to him:
“I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of the slave drivers. I know how much they’re suffering. I have come to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good land with plenty of room [for everyone]. It is a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:7-8, GWT).
According to Acts 7:6, God’s people had endured slavery for four hundred years. That’s 146,000 days—give or take a few. God saw their misery, heard them crying out, and was concerned about their suffering.
So why would God wait so long? Think of the generations who prayed for deliverance and the answer did not come.
Why?
They never knew. Even now, although Bible scholars have speculated, we have no definitive answer. God chose not to tell them/us.
But the experience of the ancient Israelites, as well as those of countless others through the centuries, prove: even in the Christian life, questions go unanswered, uncertainty can become a constant companion, and doubts linger in the shadows.
What’s to be done when the answers don’t come?
Actually, there are at least four categories of action to pursue:
1. Reaffirm what we know to be true.
- God has good reason to be silent or he wouldn’t do it. Whether he ever reveals the reason(s) is up to his discretion. But one reason is certain: If he answered every request immediately, we’d become very spoiled and never develop our faith. And faith is very important to him (Hebrews 11:6). Our trust in his always-perfect capabilities is to our benefit.
- Consider that at this very moment you are traveling 67,000 miles per hour. (And you thought you were sitting still!) The whole planet is orbiting the sun at that mind-boggling speed. Just as we forget we’re flying through space, so we sometimes forget that God is moving, always working on our behalf (Romans 8:28)—even when there’s no evidence of the fact.
- “His silence is the sign that he is bringing us into an even more wonderful understanding of himself” – Oswald Chambers.* In the silence we seek him with more diligence.
2. Prayerfully analyze the possibilities why God may be silent:
- I have unconfessed sin in my life.
- He’s given me direction but I have yet to follow. He’s waiting for me to cooperate.
- I’m trying to work things out on my own, creating such a racket of busy-ness I can’t hear his gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12).
- He’s growing my faith (Isaiah 50:10) and building my character (James 1:2-4) to make me more useful for his purpose. Fulfilling his purpose will satisfy my soul also, on a level unknown to me now (Luke 6:38).
- He’s accomplishing a purpose only he knows about at present.
3. Implement these behaviors:
- Rely on scriptural fact, not emotions. God is loving, faithful, and present with us. He never overlooks a child, and will see us through whatever he deems best (Psalm 145:8, 13, 18, 20 and Psalm 23:4).
- Take encouragement from Bible promises, even pray them back to God. But hold onto them with a light grasp because we are subject to God’s plan for fulfillment and his timetable. Good thing, too. He is the all-wise One in total, proficient control of everything.
- Take time to be quiet and receptive. Praise God for what’s right in your life. Chances are, current blessings far outweigh pending requests. Our praise can begin with another encouragement from Oswald Chambers*: “If God has given us a silence,…he is bringing us into the great run of his purpose.”
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Even as I wait in the silence for your intervention, Lord God, I praise you for your sovereignty and affirm: you know the best way and the best time to fulfill your plan. I thank you for your strength that empowers me to persevere, and the assurance of ultimate victory in the end as I rely upon you.
Isaiah 55:9, Philippians 4:11-13, Romans 8:35-36
Is there a scripture, quote, or thought you find helpful when the answers don’t come? Please share in the comment section below!
*My Utmost for His Highest, Dodd, Mead, & Co., 1966, p. 285.
(Photo & art credits: www.cgtruth.org; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.thekingjamesbible.us; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.pilgrimsrock.com.)
From the Inside Out 