Yesterday, I mentioned that WHEN GOD IS SILENT is a topic I’m frequently asked to speak on because it is where we all live. But it also seems to be one of the top five posts I’ve ever written in terms of hits.
Such a loud and clear message about where so many women are… wondering where God is… wondering if He cares.
My heart hurts with each one who feels far from God or is in a desperate place ~ longing to hear from God yet can’t seem to hear His voice.
There are times when it seems like God is silent because our lives are just too loud. But sometimes God chooses to be silent in our lives…
Because He is Testing Us
Did you know that anything of value must be tested in order to determine 3 things?
- Authenticity – is it the real deal
- Value – what is it really worth
- Is it flawed – does it have flaws or imperfections
In 1 Peter 1:6-7 we’re told we will all go through times of testing.
“ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”
Those tests come in many sizes, shapes and colors, but sometimes those tests come in DIVINELY DECREED SEASONS OF SILENCE…
That’s exactly what happened to Hezekiah.
Hezekiah was described as a king who trusted the Lord, kept the Lords commands and did not cease to follow God. The Bible goes on to state that out of all the kings of Judah – (those who came before him and those who came after him) – there was NO KING LIKE HEZEKIAH.
He wasn’t a perfect man, but the Bible says the Lord was with him and he prospered him.
As time passed, Hezekiah came down with a terminal illness. (2 Kings 20 gives a bit more detail of the same account than 2 Chronicles 32) God sent Isaiah to tell him it was time to get his house in order because he was going to die. But Hezekiah began praying and crying out to God for mercy and before Isaiah could reach the middle court the Lord told him to turn around and tell Hezekiah that He heard his prayer and He was going to give Hezekiah 15 more years.
But Hezekiah had a propensity for pride. And it wasn’t long after God healed Him that he decided it was time to flaunt his stuff.
So, God decided to send him a season of silence in a specific area of his life to show Hezekiah what he was made of:
2 Chronicles 32:31 tells us…
“However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.”
The test wasn’t so that God could see what was in Hezekiah’s heart. The test was so that Hezekiah could get a good look at his own heart.
One day I asked a older man at church why he thought God allowed us to go through some of the stuff we go through…and he said, “SO WE CAN SEE WHAT WE’RE MADE OF.”
You see, sometimes the Lord chooses to step back and let us see ourselves as we really are…what we’re made of?
We are flawed, fallible people who mess up along the way. Sometimes we need to remember that. It keeps us from thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. It keeps us from taking God’s blessings from granted and it helps us minister to others when we come through that thing to the praise and glory of God. So we can comfort others with the comfort we’ve been given.
When we walk through seasons of silence as a result of being tested like Hezekiah was, we demonstrate 3 things.
- Authenticity – is our faith really real
- Value – how valuable is our faith to us
- Is it flawed – what areas of our faith are flawed
REMEMBER, FAITH BY ITS VERY NATURE MUST BE TESTED and sometimes God chooses to test us by His silence.
Today, sweet friend, are you being tested by God’s silence? What are you made of?
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