When God is Silent

When God Is Silent
O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” and You will not save. —Habakkuk 1: 2
It is difficult to endure the silence of God—those times when we pray but it seems He doesn’t hear because nothing changes. That was Habakkuk’s frustration. Israel had turned its back on God. The nation was in moral chaos. Alarmed, Habakkuk cried out, “God, You are doing nothing!” The Lord answered, “Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you” (Habakkuk 1: 5).
**God’s ways are not our ways.
Sometimes we misinterpret God’s silence for indifference, but the truth is, God is always at work. God then gave Habakkuk a prophecy concerning the perilous days ahead. He described the judgment that would come through the hand of the Chaldeans, whom He was raising up for that purpose.
And then, urging Habakkuk to hold on and keep trusting in Him, God encouraged the prophet with words that have continued to encourage believers throughout the centuries: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2: 4). * Commit this to memory, saint!
You may be feeling today that God doesn’t hear you, or worse—that He doesn’t care. But I can assure you from the Word of God that He does hear, He does care, and He is at work on your behalf—even when He seems silent. Look away from your problems. Ignore the circumstances. Instead, cast your cares on the One who loves you and who has promised to meet all your needs.
Father, bring us to this level of faith; that when we don’t understand what You are doing, we can say, “Lord, just keep doing it.” Amen.