Hearing His Voice #60

If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me.

Job 23:3-5

Even though God loves to speak to His people, He sometimes maintains long silences and lets us search for Him. That can be an uncomfortable process, especially during life’s painful seasons, but it has profound results. Somehow in the search, His distance draws us closer. Some people may give up and lose the benefit of the silence, but those who keep pressing in will reap rewards for their persistence. They will learn to depend on the God they cannot hear, cannot see, and cannot sense in any other way. His most recent words will continue to echo in their souls, forcing their hearts to choose between faith and fear, between assurance and uncertainty, between hope and despair.

Were those words real? Another voice will whisper to us that they weren’t—that our imagination was misleading us. But the heart of the believer will actually believe. God has spoken before, and yes, He will speak again.

God’s silences are as much an aspect of His communication as His voice is. They test our mettle and teach us to listen more attentively. We refine our hearing and our faith when He doesn’t speak as He once did. When we ask Him questions and hear nothing but silence, as Job did, the appropriate response isn’t to walk away. It’s to draw nearer. We can be encouraged by moments of distance; it means He wants us to come closer.

When you don’t hear God, don’t get impatient or give up. Know that He is drawing you nearer, tuning your ears to His voice and teaching you the fine art of waiting for Him. The silence won’t last forever. The rewards of persistence will.

Lord, when I can’t sense Your presence or hear Your voice, please keep drawing me toward You. Give me the patience and persistence to keep seeking Your face.