What to do when God is silent

Mark 15: 17 They clothed him with a purple robe and plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head. 19 They struck him on the head with a reed and spit on his face and bowed their knees and worshiped him. 23 They also gave him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he would not take it.

John 19:34 One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. Mark 15:34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This passage shows that in the midst of all the suffering and pain, Jesus no longer listened to the Father. He felt abandoned, and in this state, a person would feel lost.

Unanswered questions

Jesus asked why, but received no response.

I feel this way occasionally. After an evangelistic event at my church, someone asks me why there aren’t more people baptized or why some who come don’t stay. Someone suggests that since the church grew every day after Pentecost, why isn’t our church growing in the same way? My answer is always the same: I’ve asked God, and He never told me, and I don’t know. First, Jesus had 12 disciples, and by the time he died, there were only 11 left.

When I don’t know, I only have one question: Am I doing what God is asking me to do? Am I obeying His Word?

God doesn’t need to explain

We want to understand everything and we want to know why. You don’t get answers just because you want them. God doesn’t always have to explain himself. He created all the complexities in nature, so why would he need to explain? Even though you may be in a bad situation, it’s not his responsibility.

There are some things that doctors won’t explain to you. Have you ever seen a clinician try to explain to a lunatic that he is insane? Or have you ever heard of a surgeon trying to explain surgery to a patient on the operating table? A mother shouldn’t have to explain to her baby why immunizations are painful.

God’s greatest responsibility is your happiness, not your intellectual satisfaction.

When God is silent, trust Him

Likewise, God sometimes chooses to remain silent. The question, however, is, when God is silent, especially during a trial, can you trust Him? I have experienced God’s silence before, so I know.

A few years ago, I was going through a period of great professional and personal stress, and God ignored me for three years. During that time, I was recovering from a deep emotional trauma. During those five years, I worked a very stressful job; at the same time, I was pursuing a full-time doctorate. The whole time, I had no family support because we were working in two different states, Georgia and Florida. In 2015, I quit my job, moved here permanently with my family, and finished my doctoral dissertation. After that, I searched for a job for four years, traveling from place to place, filling out hundreds of applications, but nothing came of it. During those three years, I prayed, fasted, and sought God in every way I knew how, but there was only a deafening silence.

Yet the question remains, can I trust God when He is silent?

There are some characters in the Bible that can answer this question: God was silent with Elijah when he was running from Jezebel; but in the end, he sent an angel to prove to Elijah that he was not alone, and God protected 100 other prophets through the hand of Obidiah. He was silent for a time with Job; but Job’s end was stronger than his beginning. He was silent for a time with Jesus on the cross, but it was this Jesus who was called from the grave by the Almighty.

Did Job trust God in his suffering? The answer is a resounding yes. Job said, “Will I trust him even if he kills me?” Did Jesus trust God in his suffering? The answer is also a resounding yes, for Jesus cried out, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.” Do I trust God after my hurt and pain? The answer is also a joyous yes, for He restored my health; and blessed me both professionally and financially.

Obey God and He remains silent even when He suffers

When you are suffering, seeking answers can be futile, even dangerous. It’s like trying to diagnose a storm in the middle of a tsunami (Jakes). We sometimes try to look back at a storm in the middle of a storm. Frustration in reasoning can become a tornado in the middle of a storm you are already experiencing. Because what difference does it make? Why? What’s the point of knowing the cause if you are diagnosed with stage four cancer at the time of diagnosis?

Sometimes you have to be content to walk in darkness (Jakes) because we walk by faith, not by sight.

Sometimes we go through an emotional storm and are heartbroken. In the middle of that emotional forest, we try to reason with God and have a rational discussion.

You have to understand that sometimes God is not interested in your intellect, He is interested in your obedience and ultimately your salvation.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, so that we can do all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29). In times of suffering, remember the commandments he has given you.

When God is silent, it is time to obey

Ask Saul and he will tell you that “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Ask Jonah and he will say “obedience is better than understanding.” Ask Samson and he will confirm that “obedience is better than might and physical strength.” Ask Hezekiah and he will say that “obedience is better than life itself.” It is through obedience that we learn to trust God and demonstrate our trust in Him. Elijah obeyed when God was silent; Job obeyed when God did not speak; Jesus obeyed even when he was forsaken. Our responsibility is to obey when God cannot hear. Christians who claim God’s promises must obey God’s commands. The most appropriate response to God’s unmerited mercy, healing, grace, and kindness is unreserved obedience. God hides His purposes so that we can live on His promises (Mentz). When God is silent, it is time to obey.