WHEN GOD IS SILENT!

• Let’s look at some examples of the silent seasons in the Bible
• What then is the purpose of the silent season?
  • God reveals to you the skills He equipped you with
• To get tested
  • • The atmsophere of an examination hall.
• Now that we know the importance, how then should we posture ourselves so as to maximize this season?
  • Prayer and spending time with God.
  • Surrender to the Holy Spirit.
  • Study the Bible.
• Conclusion

Does it irk you when you talk to someone and they fail to answer yet you know they can hear you. I know I am not the only one who hates it. It sucks! Now just imagine going through a season where God seems silent. You know He can hear you because He says that He hears our prayers when we pray. But still you can’t hear His voice or at the very east see His hand. This season is not only frustrating but exhausting, to say the least. There is so much uncertainty in the silent season that it is easy for one to lose track of what God is doing. When God is silent it can be very easy to assume that it is all over for you and that that where you are is where you will always be. Maybe you have been feeling like God will never come through for you because you can’t see or hear Him. Or maybe God has been silent for so long. So muc so that it makes sense for you to think He will never come through. If so, I have a beautiful word for you so let’s get right to it.

The silent seasons are some of the seasons we wish we could evade, unfortunately, we all go through them and it is unavoidable because they are meant to help us get to our purpose. The silent seasons also reveal who we are and what is hidden inside. But before we go any further I want to give you this disclaimer that although God is silent He is still present.

Let’s look at some examples of the silent seasons in the Bible

As we look at the silent seasons, let’s acknowledge one very monumental one for us as Christians. Let’s look at the lives of the disciples after the death of Jesus. One thing we need to acknowledge is the fact that the disciples looked up to Jesus. They followed Him everywhere and He was their Lord. They had given up literally everything for Jesus. So imagine how sad it was when Jesus died. They thought that their hope was lost. They must have lacked a sense of direction because their leader was no more. Because they had not even anticipated his death, they did not even think that resurrection was possible. They felt lost. And they could have even felt like they had wasted the 3 years with Him. Who knows, they could have wondered how they were going to start over.

This is what happens in the silent season. One feels buried and usually any hope for a bright future is usually lost. You end up feeling like your best days are behind you and that there is no future at all

Maybe this has been you. Maybe like the disciples you feel like you don’t understand what’s going on and God hasn’t told you. You feel like God has left you in the dark.

Lets take a look at Abraham. He had to wait for 25 years before he received his promise yet God did not tell him that. You know God gave him a promise but He did not let him know the time line. Not only that, He did not give him the details of the process. You see, there is always a process before the promise. And oftentimes God will not even give us a time line. So while you are in the silent season, it will feel like the end.

What about Joseph? God did not tell him all that he would have to go through before becoming second in command. Can you imagine the agony Joseph must have gone through. First off, he had to be thrown into the cistern by his brothers. Then he was sold into slavery. The Ishmaelites then sold him to Potiphar. And just when he thought that his life would get better, Potiphars wife lied on him. This led him to being thrown into a dungeon.

Talk about silence and pain. Yet all along, God was setting the stage for him being second in command. You see, throughout the training period, Joseph was always put in charge of everyone else except his leader. And it was because of his diligence that he was able to handle the next season with class. Does this sound like you? Do you feel hidden? Is God silent on you? God was still with both Abraham and Joseph in their silent season. And it was in these silent season that both Abraham and Joseph had to trust what God told them was true and that God would fulfill His promises to them.

What then is the purpose of the silent season?

Why do we go through the silent seasons?

God reveals to you the skills He equipped you with

When you turn to God, He equips you with the knowledge that you need. He will take you through a class and a season where He reveals to you who you are, who He is, and help you unlearn all the wrong things you had learned and by doing so give you the right knowledge and help develop your skills the right way for you to be effective in your next level. We know that God never wastes any season and so every season God takes you through prepares you for your next level.

When David was out in the field herding the flocks, he did not know that God was equipping him as a shepherd so that he could lead the Israelites once he became king. When he killed the bear and lion, he did not know that he would be the one to deliver the Israelites from Goliath. God could have easily saved David from having to kill the bear and lion by simply taking him through a different route but He did not because David needed to learn to use the skills in him. He could only have the skills revealed when he was under pressure.

You see, everything you are going through now is preparation for your next season. You might not see how God will work it out, but He will. He promises that He will work everything out for your good. And God is not a man that He should lie. So if He said it, HE will do it. You can trust God. Everything will make sense with time.

God will first train you in the small things before he can take you to the big platforms. When you are in a season where God is silent, He is only sharpening the skills He knows you already have. The silent seasons strengthen your prayer muscles as well as your spiritual and faith muscles. So when God is silent, He is only doing so to help launch you to your next level. When you are in this season, you will realize you have skills in you that would not have been revealed on your mountain top.

To get tested

Before every testimony, there is a test. And before we can become butterflies we have to be cocooned as caterpillars. Before we could go to the next grade while in school we had to take an examination that helped the teachers evaluate us to see if we qualified to go to the next level. The exam was used to measure how well we could apply the knowledge and skills taught in different situations. This is the same thing that happens. God will use the tests to elevate you to the next level. If you are going through a testing period now it’s because God wants to take you to a higher level. Elevation comes after a test.

The atmsophere of an examination hall.

• There are minimal distractions and silence – When you enter any examination room, the first thing the invigilator tells you is to put everything away because they do not want to test what is around you but what is in you. Silence and serenity are the atmospheres conducive because it not only provides you with clarity but also helps you stay focused.
• Isolation- In most cases we sit for the exams individually, there is no partnership. This helps the skills inside you to be developed, revealed and it also helps you to recognize your strengths and weakness so that you can discover who you really are and harness what you already have within. Unless you go through a test you will never know who you are and what you are made of.

This is the same case with God’s test. Before you can go through a test God will first isolate you to get you to focus and also minimize all the distractions. Distractions help you doubt your abilities because when you have the marking scheme, why bother thinking? When there are distractions around you, you will not focus on studying for the exam and thus you will not be well equipped to take the exam. God will isolate you before He can administer the assessment, In seasons of isolation, your reliance on God is at maximum. And it is in this place where the core of who we really are gets revealed. Our true self is revealed when we are in isolation. So if you feel hidden and as though God is silent just know that God is refining you and sharpening you to get the diamond inside you to shine.

Every examination the teacher is usually silent. Could it be that God is silent because you are gong through a test right now? If that th case, then you need to know that you already have all that you need to pass the test. You see, God is for you and on your side. This means that efore He can take you through a rest He will give you the marking scheme. He is rooting for you and wants you to win and emerge victorious.

Now that we know the importance, how then should we posture ourselves so as to maximize this season?

Prayer and spending time with God.

Private prayer gives room for public power. God can only use you effectively when you allow Him to lead you and that can only happen when you give Him your time. Every second you spend in God’s presence is not in vain, because He uses those moments to refine you and transform you to be more like Jesus. Prayer gives you the power you need to live the life that God requires you to. It is in prayer that you get the strategies you need to tackle the wilderness and silent seasons. Always remember that prayer is communication with God. And it is how you gain clarity to hear from God. It is not complicated it is just simply talking to God and waiting for Him to speak to you too.

Surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus left, He told His disciples that He would send them the helper who would teach them all truth and be their guide. Why then are you struggling to do life on your own when you know you have the Holy Spirit who is willing and able to help you? It is in your lowest moments that you need the Holy Spirit the most so turn to Him. Allow Him to develop your Spiritual senses and transform you to be more like Jesus so that when you come out you can reflect Jesus and be used for the glory of God. The Holy Spirit is your friend. He is on your side so you can trust Him to guide you in the right way.

Study the Bible.

Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds so that we can know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. The sequence we see here is renewal before the transformation. Your mind will be renewed the more you fill it with God’s word.

Our minds are like sponges that soak in everything we give it. So if you want real transformation you have to hide in the word of God that way your mind will be shaped the kingdom way and in turn undergo Godly transformation. So if you want to see real change in your life, learn to spend time with God. Always remember that what you focus on you empower. And it out if the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. Do you see the importance of renewing your mind. If you want to know more about it check out Dr Carolyne Leafs you rube Chanel, she talks alot about detoxing your mind. And her goal is to ensure that Christians experience true transformation.

Conclusion

When God is silent, He is taking you through a test. And He knows that you will win because He has prepared you adequately for it. Do you feel like God is distant? Realize that you are not alone and He is present. The silent seasons catapult you to your next season so take heart. I hope this helps you and encourages you. Leave a comment below to encourage others as well going through a similar season. Blessings to you and I am rooting for you!

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 NIV