You cry out, “Why doesn’t the LORD accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Malachi 2:14 NLT
That was ouchy, wasn’t it? Please don’t stop reading. That’s not the whole story and you need it all. But God’s Word has quite a few places where we see that our disobedience can be a reason for God’s silence. I mean, seriously – look at your own relationships. Don’t you eventually stop talking or seriously sharing your heart with people who don’t pay attention? Of course. Why would God tell me something more if I haven’t listened and obeyed what He already said to me?
When God is silent, a first piece of wise direction is to humbly ask God if there is any sin or neglect in your life that is hurting your relationship? Then over the next few days, listen carefully to your mind and conscience for thoughts that may come to mind. Check them out, and if you discover a trouble, thank God for bringing it to your attention and ask Him how to fix it. Again, God is a diligent and truly kind Father, and He will speak to your mind with how best to move forward. Don’t ignore it. Do this until nothing else comes to mind. You are getting closer and closer to Him.
Don’t expect the voice of God to begin speaking immediately as if making up for lost time. God IS there and He loves to hear you. Keep talking to Him when it seems He is not there. When I was a child, I remember a lady telling me about her husband having been a prisoner of war in World War I, and they had no idea where he was for many, many months before they even discovered that. He was silent, missing in action, long before they even knew if he was dead or alive. But she wrote to him every day. She believed that he was alive and that he still loved her. She didn’t even have a place to send her love letters, so she kept them in a small trunk at home. Then one day an incredible telegram came! He was alive. Still silence from him, but she believed there was much hope, and she kept writing. Eventually the first letter came, and one day he was released and came home. All of those letters sealed their love. When she told me the story, they had been wonderfully married for nearly 70 years.
Keep talking to God even when you can’t hear Him talking to you. Claim the truth that He is alive and that one day you will see the evidence that He has heard every prayer. Your love will grow in the silence.
- Sometimes when God seems silent, it’s good to write Him a love letter. Yes, WRITE it. It will do you good, and when the silence is past you will see how your love and trust have grown.