Is God Waiting in the Silence to Hear From You?

Silence is such a hard place to be when you are waiting for answers that never seem to come. Answers you desperately need. 

With all the technology in the world today, there are still solutions that only God can bring. Waiting in the silence is a place that requires trust.

Trust in God, even when He is silent. Trust in His plan and purpose for the trials of life we have to endure. Trusting in the unseen and the unknown. 

But this is not the silence I am referring to today. Today, I want to talk about God waiting in the silence to hear from us! 

Waiting in the Silence on Christmas Day.

I am writing this on Christmas Day 2022! As I was sitting in the silence on a day usually filled with celebration and the laughs of children and grandchildren as they open presents from under the tree. I heard the words “waiting in the silence” from the Lord. 

We had to cancel our Christmas plans this year due to sickness in the family. Some of our kids and grandkids came down with a respiratory illness at the last minute. With my husband fighting cancer, we can’t take the risk of having him around others who are sick, so we had to cancel and reschedule for next week. So this special day has been filled with waiting in the silence. 

Hearing the Prophetic Word of the Lord.

As I felt the loneliness of the day without family and celebrating the birth of Christ with them, hearing the Lord say: “waiting in the silence” left me a bit puzzled. As I prayed into what the Lord was trying to say, He said: 

“I am waiting in the silence to hear from my children that I love so dear!” 

I felt those words to my core, as I too was waiting in the silence to hear my children celebrate the birth of Jesus. Knowing they are all busy with their families, opening gifts and celebrating without me! Oh how God must feel when we are too busy to spend time with Him!

God is Waiting in the Silence.

Yes, God is waiting in the silence. For some, God has been waiting for a long time to hear from us. He is waiting in the silence, knocking on the door of our heart. Begging for our praise and worship. Longing for a deep intimate relationship with us. He doesn’t want that lukewarm “I’m a fake Christian” relationship where we only call out to Him in our time of need. No! He wants to commune with us daily, He wants our good days and our bad. God longs to be the first one we come to when we begin our day and when we lie down at night. 

Are we treating God like a fairy with a magic wand?

There are times in life where we often seem to treat God like a magic wand. We only wave the wand when we are desperate in need. Are we engaging in God’s presence when times are good and we don’t have so many needs? Are we spending time daily in the secret place of worship and intimacy with the Lord? Or, do we wait for the silence to overtake us when life is at its worst, or when the diagnosis comes or we have a need only God can provide? 

Could it be that God is actually waiting on us? Is He longing for us to seek Him out of reverence, love and devotion, not just when we are at the end of our rope? In Psalm 53:2 it says: 

“God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God.” Psalm 53:2 NASB 

In John 4 we read: 

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” John 4:23 NKJV

And again in Revelation we find: 

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20 NIV

God desires our heart, our true worship.

God is waiting and seeking for us. He desires our heart, He desires our true worship in spirit and truth. He is waiting for us to open the door! While we sit and wait in the silence, we often fill our minds and hearts with all the what if’s, why’s, pain and stress of our situation. We fail to turn our hearts toward God when times are good and peaceful. We fail to commune with God daily for no reason other than to worship Him in spirit and truth. 

When life falls apart or the diagnosis comes, then we call out to God and wonder why we end up waiting in silence. Why God? Why did you allow this to happen? Please, why don’t you answer me? Sadly, many have become distant with God all on their own. They profess to be a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. Yet, they no longer spend time in prayer, worship and intimacy with the Father. Oh they go to church on Sunday, maybe even Bible Study on Wednesday. But are we spending time with God in the secret place of devotional intimacy the rest of the week? We should be making time for God every single day of our lives. 

God is patiently waiting.

God is waiting in the silence for us to get it right. He is patiently waiting for us to take our relationship with Him seriously. To take Him seriously, to give Him our devotion, dedication, and make Him a priority! God is growing tired of being treated like a magic fairy wand expected to grant the wishes of lukewarm believers. Take a look at 2 Chronicles for a moment. What do we see? 

“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

God is making a bold statement here that so many either miss or dismiss! God wants humility, He wants those called by His name to seek His face and pray. It does not say forget about God until your life is a complete mess, and then call on God. Nope! It says “IF My people who are called by My name will HUMBLE THEMSELVES, and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE, and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” Come on church, it is time to wake up and take God seriously! 

What are we waiting for?

What are we expecting when we deliberately put God last right up, and until our life takes a turn and God is the only one who can help? Is it then and only then that we call out to Him? Is it then that we cry out “God where are you, why did you allow this, why are you silent Lord? God help me!” How can we knowingly dismiss God, put Him on a shelf, and ignore Him until our life is out of control and we suddenly need a miracle? 

No one likes that friend who only calls or comes around when they need something or are looking for a handout. Everyone knows someone like that. You never hear from them, and they are never around to help when you need it. Yet the minute you have something they need, your phone is ringing off the hook. How do you think God feels when we treat him this way?

Why should He come to our rescue if we are not doing our part in giving Him true worship, seeking Him and offering up our prayers of praise? He desires to have a relationship with us. A deep intimate relationship that works both ways. One where we dedicate time in our day (every day) to read His Word, pray to Him, give Him worship and praise. Not one where we only “remember God” when we have a need. 

God is standing at the door of your heart today.

He has sought you out, He is knocking, waiting in the silence for someone to open the door and let Him in. God through the Holy Spirit desires to come in and dwell with you, not just visit briefly. He wants to live and stay every moment of everyday. To be your best friend, the one you call on in the good and the bad. Won’t you open the door, end the silence and waiting and invite Him in? 

God is calling professing Christians to get serious about living for Him! Let this old hymn sink deep into your heart today, and hear God’s heart for you. 

Oswald Jeffrey Smith wrote this hymn in 1938. He expressed that God is waiting, and eagerly desiring, those who will answer His call. 

1) God is waiting in the silence,
For a heart that He can fill;
He must find it cleansed and empty,
With a spirit calm and still.
God is waiting in the silence,
Oh, to know that He is near!
Earth recedes and heaven opens,
God is waiting, God is here.
3) God is waiting in the silence,
As the world goes rushing by;
Will not someone stop and listen,
Answer quickly, “Here am I”?

I pray this is a wake up call for some of you. I want to remind you what Sharla wrote this week on the traditions of men and hearing God’s heart. How the gifts of Jesus are waiting for us to unwrap in the secret place. God is speaking loud and clear, waiting in the silence for His people to hear and respond! I urge you to read those posts from the past week and get serious about seeking God and the rest He desires for us in the secret place. God is waiting for you in the silence! Won’t you open the door?