Dear Faith Family,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest, (Psalm 22:1-2). 

For the exhausted parents of toddlers at the end of the day, maybe.  For the introvert, maybe.  For the neighbor of a yappy dog, maybe.  For the chef whose smoke alarm is competing with the masterpiece in the oven, maybe.  Yes, silence can be golden! 

But there are other times.  David bemoaned the silence in Psalm 22.  He longed to hear from his God in Psalm 22.  Jesus repeated those words as life, racked with pain, slowly exited His body.  The silence was killing Him.  Wednesday of the final week of Jesus’ life, was one of those not so golden silent days.  What was going on?  What was Jesus doing?  It’s been three days since The Triumphal Entry! 

Have you ever been in one of those not so golden silent days, weeks, months?  Maybe you’ve asked God to do something, and He hasn’t?  Maybe you’ve asked God to show you something, and He hasn’t?  Maybe you’ve asked God for wisdom, and He’s eerily quiet? 

A couple of thoughts?  Thought number one.  Silence does not mean that God is doing nothing.  (I know that ain’t good English!  That whole “double negative” thing.)  God is always up to “stuff” even when He’s not talking about it.  Was Jesus preparing for The Passover?  Was Jesus preparing to be The Passover Lamb?  Rest assured that God is at work whether or not  we’re privy to what He’s doing! 

Second thought.  Silence does not mean that we should not keep seeking our God.  (I know.  More badder English!)  David didn’t stop crying out just because He wasn’t hearing from God.  Jesus, in the midst of the suffering silence, still cried out to His Father, our God!  As you cry out to God, use the Word of God to remind yourself of who God is.  In the desperate, silent moments we can lose sight of His character.  We can forget that He not only knows what He is doing but that He is doing.  Fill the silence with what we already know to be true from the Word of God! 

Hearing the silence, 
Pastor Karl