Silence is the absence of any noise. It is the absence of speech and yet a powerful form of communication. For instance, when a speaker chooses to be silent by taking a pause from what they are saying, it can be for several reasons. They are either gathering their thoughts in order to proceed with what they were saying; they want you to process the information they just gave you; or they want your full attention because they’re about to say something really important.
Silence can be considered the absence of many things, but it sure is not the absence of God.
The silence
Let me tell ya something, there is nothing more frustrating than silence. Especially when it comes from God. But what if that silence we perceive as God not answering, is saying more than our human understanding? You see the truth is, silence can be considered the absence of many things, but it sure is not the absence of God.
When Elijah was on the mountain seeking God’s face, he experienced His presence in a way he’s never experienced Him before — through the silence. “Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'” (1 King 19:11-13).
The stillness of His presence
Notice here how Elijah experienced God, not through the wind, earthquake or the fire, but through the silence. You see, the reason why we get frustrated when we don’t hear anything from God is because we’re expecting Him to move and speak in one specific way while completely disregarding the answer we are receiving in the stillness of His presence. Silence, is not the absence of God but the evidence of His presence.
With all that said, I want to encourage you today to rest in the stillness of His presence. Just like Elijah, listen closely to the whisper of His voice. I assure you, He has not forgotten about you. He is up to something beyond what you can imagine.
