Is it actually deafening? Do you wonder if we weren't required to adjust to this speedy life, would silence feel less harsh to your heart and soul?
Life has so many moments to embrace joy and sorrow...sometimes I feel that our society doesn't feel the need to embrace both but Jesus did. He wept in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wept and asked God to take the cup from him, yet He didn't allow emotions to control his thoughts or actions. He was obediently in love with the Father.
Mike Bickle says, "Lovers of God are better workers than workers of God."
I mean think about it- someone in love will literally do anything for their lover. Nothing is too big, small, wide, or deep because you love them. Love truly conquers all, especially the unconditional love of God. Jesus felt his emotions, but love lead Him to the cross for you and I.
I think there is work to be done to handle silence better within our culture as a whole, but also as individuals. I wanna laugh with joy and lament deeply and freely without the silence drawing a dividing line between the Holy Spirit and me.
How do you process the silence of the Holy Spirit?
What do you do when it seems that He has muted himself? What does it say about His nature?
"Oswald Chambers once asked a provoking question: "Am I close enough to God to feel secure when He is silent?" In other words, must I have a constant two-way communication with God to feel approved and loved by Him? Paul exhorted Timothy to "be constant in season, out of season" (2 Tim. 4:2, KJV). We must develop a maturity that does not panic "between the times"--to use a helpful phrase from Richard Bewes. In season is a time of refreshing when God clearly manifests Himself. Out of season is when He seems to hide His face from us, those times when He is silent. "
I was reading this book, The Sensitivity of the Spiritby R.T. Kendler. I've been learning a lot about the person, the Holy Spirit. If no one has ever told you, He is an irreplaceable part of the Trinity. This book does a perfectly wonderful job of helping you understand Him...no matter where you came from or what theology you may have regarding the Holy Spirit, I think it is so vital to not misinterpret or misrepresent Him. To know and be known by the Spirit...
I think I have entered a time that would be referred to as 'out of season'. And I think God does what he does to become more inaccessible to us in various seasons because He wants to show what is truly in our hearts. When we rely heavily on things, people or even the consistent manifestation of God's presence, the present state of our hearts at a foundational level cannot surface. He also desires for us to have objectivity over subjectivity when we consider & know who we truly are in the eyes of others. I know I can be very biased or hold prejudice regarding myself or my performance throughout the day, but oh what it would be like to encounter myself from a bird's eye view or even an external perspective? Only God knows. "God does us an enormous favor by giving us a glimpse of ourselves through other people's eyes. It is a sobering experience."
I think the question would be:
When God mutes himself, how long will it be until you recognize the change? And will you grieve it? Will you only pursue praying, fasting, and seeking first the Kingdom of God when you feel like it or go on when it is hard... even when you don't feel anything of the Spirit of God? Only you know the answer.
"How tedious and tasteless the hours,
When Jesus no longer I see!
Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flow'rs,
Have lost all their sweetness to me;
The midsummer sun shines dim,
The fields strive in vain to look gay;
But when I am happy in Him,
December's as pleasant as May."
God is not passive in his silence. Yet, I see that He is such a good Father to test me and see what is truly in my heart. There is so much delight in having a pure heart and motives regarding ourselves, the Kingdom, and relationships with others. Oh, how I long for the day when December's winter will be as refreshing as May's summer because I find my joy in God-- in season, out of season.
Church, my advice to you is to pursue the presence of God even if you can or cannot feel Him. He won't leave you even if you cannot feel or hear Him. Stay steadfast in your devotion to Him. I believe our relationship with Him is much like the intimacy model of a healthy God-given marriage... every day, all-in, flawed unconditional love. We listen, talk, wrestle, learn and fall in love over and over and over again- until the King returns.
Is the silence deafening? No, not when you find peace in between seasons with God.
Quotes: The Sensitivity of the Spirit: Learning to Stay in the Flow of God's Direction by R.T. Kendall
Song of Solomon audio (2007) by Mike Bickle
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