There’s an art to having a great conversation. When two people can flow between sentences and add value no matter the topic, it can be an amazing moment of understanding and growth. It can get real awkward when only one person is speaking while the other stares off into space, or when both are completely quiet, fidgeting and trying to find a way to leave the conversation. There are instances within our faith walk where we encounter silence and it can feel unnatural, unnerving, and scary. What do we do when we speak to God and we feel He isn’t speaking back?
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Most of our anxious thinking is of our own doing. We go through seasons of asking in prayer to receiving, from speaking life and seeing its manifestation, it’s the silent seasons that can drive us crazy. What happened? Are we in sin? Is God mad at us? Two things can happen; either we become impatient and start living our own way, or we stop talking to God altogether. Nothing tests our faith like not knowing what to do. Here’s the thing, God is always speaking! When we need to know what to do next and we haven’t received instructions, the only thing we can do is obey what God has previously said.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
It’s tough to come out of a time of prayer and feel like heaven has ignored you but the truth is, we put distance between ourselves and God, not the other way around. The bible tells us of God’s relentless pursuit for us, it even came down to a cross on calvary. If we know that God is for us, why do we allow doubt and fear to hinder our relationship with Him? There are great lessons in silence. At times silence is the message that God is trying to get to us! It may mean slow down, it may be a time of reflection in case there is sin in our hearts that we don’t realize, silence can reveal a lot. Perhaps God is trying to show us that we aren’t as patient as we thought.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in him.
In the quiet moments and seasons within our relationship with God we have to learn to trust. God has proven that He is unfailing, He answers when we call, and moves on our behalf. When there is silence, God is requiring us to trust Him and to be trustworthy. Can God trust us through the silence or will we get fidgety, awkward, and leave? When we fill our lives with His word, it holds us in moments just like this, and provides a peace the world can’t take away. Yes, there’s an art to having a great conversation but there’s also an art to our faith. Even in silence we are overwhelmed by our Father’s love, enough to believe He is just, to lean on the faithfulness of His word. It’s not awkward when two trusting people can be in each other’s company and be confidently held in silence.