The Silence of God

Recommended by my friend, Julie Mendonsa.



Hope for those who are waiting:

Lamentations 3: 22-33 

²²  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;^[b]
     his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
     great is your faithfulness.
²⁴  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
     “therefore I will hope in him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
²⁶  It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
²⁷  It is good for a man that he bear
    the yoke in his youth.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence
    when it is laid on him;
²⁹  let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope;
³⁰  let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
    and let him be filled with insults.

³¹  For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
³² but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
     according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
³³  for he does not afflict from his heart
    or grieve the children of men.

"Why doesn't God answer my questions?"

"Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen."  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Feb. 22)

My son asked us last week: "Why doesn't God answer your questions when you ask him?"

Wow.  I was expecting the why doesn't God give you what you ask for before this one.  You know- the" why not a farari?" question.  I really wanted that red farari!


Have you ever felt this way?  A big question looming in your life and your pour out your heart to God and ask, and in the silence thereafter you wonder why no answer?  Where is the answer?!?

And here we are in the period of waiting for God.  Waiting for God- the still silence of no answer- implies that He will answer and that He is still and always VERY GOOD despite no answer yet.

The unique gift of the believer is that in the silence we can have peace.  In fact, we are intended to live with peace especially in that time of waiting for Him to answer.  It is that time of waiting that puts the fire to our anxious hearts, our angry/frustrated/unforgiving/unbelieving souls, and puts on us like a warm blanket the unfailing Love of the Spirit- and then we can do anything.

The waiting and silence speaks volumes: TRUST ME, I AM HERE AND I AM GOOD.

Back to real life?

One week back stateside; one week back in the day to day, moment to moment, nitty grittiness of home...

When I'm away from home, I miss it so much.  When I'm in my home, I'm overwhelmed by the stress of my every day life.  Where is the green grass again?

The struggle is to be wholly present in the Holy Present- completely there where God has put you, where He is.  Whether that be in Kenya, or Galveston TX.  Present, engaged, and thankful for the moment.

For me, that can be easier when I'm overseas.  Something about the foreign unfamiliar makes me stop and seek God, find His beauty, and be thankful for everything.  I'm thankful I made it across the ocean in 2 different airplanes!  Thankful to have a place to stay!  Thankful for food to eat!  Maybe its the fact that so many people in that area of the world don't; just being there makes you slow down and SEE things differently, and be thankful.

Coming home on the other hand?  Immediately EVERYTHING gets crazy and complex, exhausting (or is it jet lag?), and SUPER SONIC SPEED.  I have to be so intentional to stop my racing mind, my anxious heart; to slow down and see my God and listen to His Words, to trust in Him.  I have to stop, look, and wait on Him.

Otherwise I'm immediately overwhelmmed.


"One of the most amazing revelations of God comes to  us when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent diety of Jesus Christ."  ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest (Feb 7)

But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I continually trust in God's loyal love.  I will continually thank you when you execute judgement; I will rely on you, for your loyal followers know you are good.    Ps. 52:8-9