The Silence of God!

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Lam 3:25–26, Isaiah 30:18, Psalm 27:14

As you can probably tell, this is going to be detailed. There are times in the life of every believer when God seems silent. You pray, and there is no answer yet. You wait, and nothing seems to have changed. You seek, but find no word or sign. Yet the scripture gently reminds us that the silence of God is not the absence of God. It may feel like a delay, but God is never slow, forgetful, or indifferent.

The Bible assures us that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” What appears as delay to us is often divine patience, mercy in motion, giving space for hearts to turn and lives to be restored. Yes, we ought to admit that, God does not operate according to human clocks; His timing is eternal. “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8). What feels long to us is not long to Him. He is outside time, above it, ruling over it perfectly. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Job cried out in the midst of his suffering. He asked, pleaded, and demanded answers, yet God did not speak until much later. Though the heavens seemed quiet, God was watching, listening, and ultimately revealed Himself in power and wisdom. David too felt this silence. “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” he wrote in the Psalms. Though he felt abandoned, he still chose to trust, ending that same psalm with praise. This is often the path of faith—trusting in what is not seen, and clinging to the one who is always near, even when He does not speak. Asaph in Psalm 77 poured out his soul in anguish, asking if God had forgotten to be gracious. He, too, heard no voice, no change in his circumstances—only silence. Yet he remembered God’s past faithfulness and found strength in what God had already done. Habakkuk cried out at the violence and injustice in his land. “How long shall I cry and You will not hear?” he asked. The Lord eventually answered, but not as he expected. Sometimes God’s silence is not denial, but a delay, because His answer is bigger than we imagine.

Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus when their brother Lazarus was ill. They knew He loved them. They knew He could heal. But Jesus delayed. Lazarus died. They must have wondered why He didn’t come. When He arrived, Martha said, “Lord, if You had been here…” Still, Jesus had a greater plan—to reveal Himself as the resurrection and the life. His delay was not indifference, but divine timing.

Even our Lord Jesus experienced silence. In Gethsemane, He prayed three times, deeply grieved, and no audible answer came. On the cross, He cried, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” That seemingly silence was not a sign of weakness or failure, but the very moment redemption was being accomplished. God’s greatest work was done in the quiet agony of the cross. After Jesus’ death, the disciples were scattered, confused, and grieving. For three days, all was silent. It seemed like the end. But God was working in the silence, and on the third day, He rose.

Momentary silence in the scripture is never without purpose. Sometimes it’s a call to examine our hearts, as when God told Israel that their sins had hidden His face from them. Sometimes it’s a test of faith, a refining of trust. Sometimes it’s simply a pause before a greater unveiling of His glory. But always, He remains faithful. He is not slow to fulfil His promises—He is perfect in wisdom, full of mercy, and precise in every purpose. His timing is never late, but lovingly appointed.

So listen, if you find yourself in a season of silence, remember this: God is still there. He is still good. He is still working. He may be teaching, refining, preparing, or waiting for the perfect moment. Your prayers are not forgotten. Your tears are not wasted. Your faith is not in vain.

Lord, in the quiet, help us to wait on you. When the heavens seem still, let us not turn away, but lean in more deeply. Teach us to trust you in the shadows as well as the light. Strengthen our hearts when the answers do not come as we expect. And when we cannot hear your voice, help us to trust your word. Amen.

Bible References

Kay Alli