NEVER MISTAKE WHAT LOOKS LIKE GOD'S SILENCE FOR HIS INACTIVITY!
TEXT:
"Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God." (Psalms 83 verse 1, King James Version).
There are times when the Lord will seemingly be silent and will refrain from speaking. At such moments, men are troubled. The Psalmist wrote saying, "Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." (Psalms 28 verse 1). King Saul became troubled when he "enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets." (1st Samuel 28 verse 6). It's good that we understand that as it is with men, so it sometimes is with the Lord, seeing that "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ... a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;"
(Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 and 7).
There probably were times when God spoke to you and His Word was not only as sweet as honey and the honey comb, but also akin to a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (see Psalms 19 verses 9 to 10 and 119 verse 105). At such moments, you get illuminated through wisdom and understanding, causing you to refrain your steps from every false way (see Psalms 119 verses 98 to 104). Such are the mountain top experiences that we very often crave for as Christians.
But what we often regard as moments of God's silence are in various moments where He is seen to work behind the scenes, accomplishing great feats towards man's eventual salvation. In other words, it can be fatally wrong to assume God's silence over our affairs, whereas He's NEVER known to keep silent, hold His peace, and to be still (see Isaiah 62 verse 1). Rather, we are the ones admonished to "be still and know" that He's God (see Psalms 46 verse 10). Truly, at such moments of God's seeming silence, you are essentially in the dark, not knowing what steps to take. But at such times, my counsel to you is this:
"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you ..." (Exodus 14 verse 13)
God is never known for inactivity. Jesus said “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (John 5 verse 17, English Standard Version). This was the very essence of the Psalmist prayer in the Scripture reading for today saying, "Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God."
For example, the period between the old Testament Book of Malachi and the new Testament Book of Matthew spans about 400 years. It's a period that is often referred to amongst Bible scholars as the "silent period" or the "intertestamental period". But was God actually silent in between those 400 years? Not at all!
It was during this period that God raised up Alexander the Great, made him conquer the world in 334 BC, spread Hellenism (Greek culture) all over the world, and gave us a unifying Greek language with which to communicate. This was the language that the Old Testament, originally written in Hebrew, was translated in 250 BC. It's called the "Septuagint". Besides, the New Testament was eventually written in the same Greek language. Though others saw Him as silent in those years, but to me, God was working behind the scenes, preparing the world to know Him as the One and only True God.
In 63 BC, God also enabled the Romans to conquer the world, gave it a unique system of government, a beautiful interlinking network of roads, trade routes and a common currency, making it easier for the spread of the Gospel in Jesus' time and thereafter.
Although God wasn't then speaking through the Prophets, He was working surreptitiously through history, putting in place all that was needed for a successful showcase of His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Again, I repeat, God's seeming silence shouldn't be taken to mean inactivity.
So therefore, don't be tripped by God's seeming silence that you may be currently experiencing. That you are not hearing God speaking to you right now doesn't mean that He's not working behind the scenes, preparing you and putting in place what's needed for your favour and eventual success in life. Give the Lord a shout of Praise!
PRAYER:
Lord, it may seem as though You are silent and not speaking to me, nevertheless, I believe that You are working behind the scenes for my eventual good, in Jesus name.