When God Seems Silent

We were watching a bluey episode the other day and dad was teasing bingo when she started asking him a question. He would start talking then get silent. His mouth would move but nothing would come out!

Recap

Over the past couple of weeks we have been discussing about how to discern or hear the voice of God.

First week we talked on the lines of “How God speaks.” He mainly speaks to us through His word. If you hear from God, you can ALWAYS go to the Bible and clarify if that is truely from God. Hearing Him through prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.

John 10:3 NLT

3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Last week we heard what God does not sound like.

John 8:44 (NLT)

44b [Satan] has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The enemy wants to lie to us in to walking away from Gods truth. He tries to get us to think and believe that what he is offering is better, but his purpose John 10:10a “10a The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” We hear truth from Gods word! Which is Jesus, because He is the Word.

We can truly take God at His word.

But what happens if you are not hearing from God? Maybe right now its a dark season of silence. Your family is in disarray, chaos at school, and you’re in a season of depression. You feel isolated and like theres nothing you can do, you are not getting the answers you’re hoping for.

I tell you this you are not alone. Celebrating Birthdays I think it is okay to go to the birth of a special person of the Bible. But its not the Birth of Jesus, but instead its his cousin, John.

Did you know that there was a time of silence from God before Jesus came? A total of 400 years to be exact. From when the book of Malachi & when the gospels start. Matthew starts up with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, while the Gospel of Luke starts well before Mary gets pregnant!

Tonight we are going to look at when God breaks the silence, in Luke 1. Turn there with me now.

Luke 1:5–6 NLT

5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.

Remember God hasn’t sent a prophet in over 400 years and still Luke states that “Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in Gods eyes.” They obeyed all the commands of God, even in the silence. But they were experiencing something deeper as well. Lets read on.

Luke 1:7 NLT

7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.

They were in their own darkness with-in the greater silence. They were having the devastation of not able to have children.

What does an old person, not able to have a baby, have anything to do with me right now? Awesome you asked, we can read them and see how they handled their situation.

Luke 1:8 NLT

8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week.

Walk by faith and not by feelings.

Zechariah could have just stopped going to church, stopped going to the temple and done his own thing. A lot of people do this with church. Do y’all remember the parable of the sower?

Matthew 13:3–8 NLT

3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

If we walk our life on feelings we will be choked out by the cares of this world and dark seasons will scorch us. But if our faith is rooted deep in good soil, foundation of the word of God, then it stand strong.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.

When God seems silent:

Re-calibrate your life around the word of God.

After going into the temple, he starts to burn the incense, and he was visited by an angel of the Lord. He startled him! Scared and fearful, zechariah stood there amazed, listening to the angel speak to him telling him he was finally going to have a baby boy. But this wasn’t going to be any ordinary boy, he was going to be full of the Holy Spirit from the womb, and lead the people of Israel into repentance.

Luke 1:18–20 NLT

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” 19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

In other words, Zechariah needed to take God at His word. The 400 years of silence was broken, and he heard from God and his prayers were answered! But yet he was hesitant.

The reason why you are feeling like God is silent towards us is because your bible is closed.

How can we hear from God, when we aren’t even reading His word.

Its like a GPS needing to recalculate your route when you miss a turn!

Psalm 119:105 NLT

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

When we feel like God seems silent:

We need to stay in our faith community.

Luke 1:8–9 ESV

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

Who was he with in the dark days, his company. Getting connected in a life group on wednesday nights is critcal. Not to just hang out with friends but to lean on like minded believers when times are hard.

Hebrews 10:25 NLT

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Coming into wednesdays or just to service on sundays are critcal. We are not meant to do life alone, but together.

We worship God during the dark seasons.

You might say yeah its easy when you hear and get your prayers answered to praise God. But actually where did God find Zechariah? Where did he break the silence?

Luke 1:11 NLT

11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.

God found Zechariah in the temple burning incense of worship! Even in the barren days of not having a child and culturally not hearing from God, Zechariah was worshipping God.

Sometimes we need to just praise God for who he is! Even in the hard times, because its not based on our circumstances that God is good but based on who He is!

I want to end on this Psalm 42:1

Psalm 42:1 NLT

1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

We long for God, that is my prayer for you! But we are in seasons when it is silent and we say this.

Psalm 42:11 NLT

11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Tonight you might need to confess sin. You may need to start a habit of reading God’s word! But some of you might need to first start a relationship with God.