silence Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
John 11:3-4

When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother and Jesus’ friend was gravely ill and requested that He come, Jesus delayed going. The family went through the entire funeral process and by the time Jesus got there Lazarus had been dead four days.

Mary, knowing the healing power of the Master said, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” That would be correct. If He had come and healed Lazarus, they would have learned nothing new about Jesus, but by waiting four days, it allowed Him to show even more power. His delay and silence was not rejection. Rather it was an opportunity to know more of himself than they had ever known.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, already wrapped in grave clothing, it was quite a spectacular event, far greater than healing a live person.

Have you ever been frustrated when you didn’t hear from God? Perhaps it is because He wants to teach you a new revelation about himself. Whenever silence comes, continue doing the last thing God told you while you watch and wait for a fresh encounter with Him.

When you don’t hear from God, you can respond in one or two ways. You can become discouraged or you can patiently wait while God gives you a deeper knowledge of himself. The response you choose will determine your relationship with God.

Some responses are good enough to wait for. Never consider the silence of God to be the rejection by God. He knows the perfect timing for the maximum effect.

Perhaps you are not ready for His next step. Maybe He is waiting for you to elevate your prayer level or to deepen your knowledge of scripture. But when you are ready, He can use you in a mighty way.

Jesus was four days late to the grave of His friend Lazarus, but He was right on time.

by John Grant
used by permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

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You don’t have to speak to encourage. The Bible says, “It is best to listen much, speak little” (James 1:19 TLB). We tend to speak much and listen little. There is a time to speak. But there is also a time to be quiet. That’s what my father did. Dropping a fly ball may not be a big deal to most people, but if you are thirteen years old and have aspirations of the big leagues, it is a big deal. Not only was it my second error of the game, it allowed the winning run to score.

I didn’t even go back to the dugout. I turned around in the middle of left field and climbed over the fence. I was halfway home when my dad found me. He didn’t say a word. Just pulled over to the side of the road, leaned across the seat, and opened the passenger door. We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to. We both knew the world had come to an end. When we got home, I went straight to my room, and he went straight to the kitchen. Presently he appeared in front of me with cookies and milk. He took a seat on the bed, and we broke bread together.

Somewhere in the dunking of the cookies I began to realize that life and my father’s love would go on. In the economy of male adolescence, if you love the guy who drops the ball, then you really love him. My skill as a baseball player didn’t improve, but my confidence in Dad’s love did. Dad never said a word. But he did show up. He did listen up. That’s what your Father God does. His presence may be quiet, but he’ll show up. And he’ll listen.

By Max Lucado
From: An Encouraging Word
Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://maxlucado.com/about/

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When God is Silent

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When God is Silent

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Follow Us On:

Speaking in Silence