The Resounding Silence of God

Max Lucado wrote a book back in 1994 titled ''When God whispers your name'.  It is a great read with his usual humor and insights, but my question is..

What happens when God whispers my name but .. I am hard of hearing?

Just a few short years ago I weathered personal hurricane force storms in back to back years.  At the time I didn't know if I would survive the first storm only to be windblown and tattered the next year too.

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Let me tell you I literally cried (sobbed), and cried out to God for HELP. I wanted a God to calm these storms, but my prayers were met with the resounding SILENCE of God. 

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Ps 10:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Ps 22:1-2

I admit my cries to God were not as eloquent David penned in the above Psalms, but I still believe I shed enough literal tears to warrant flood insurance.
  
Side note on Crying: When a woman cries we feel empathy as her deep emotions touch our hearts.  When a man cries it sounds like a wounded Badger caught in a trap trying to gnaw off his leg in a short sighted attempt to resolve his problem 'on his own'.  Those in ear shot want to put that wounded badger out of his misery.  and for crying men to .. STOP IT! 

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Now back to my storms..
Over time I discovered God's providence/answers were found in what I perceived as His silence. During my storms I believed I must experience the full impact of my situation (mistakes and circumstances) because that is how life works. Life rains on the just and the unjust, the Jeffs and the unJeffs while I stand outside crying in this deluge with my head tipped to the Heavens with my mouth open .. drowning!

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We all know the story of Peter walking on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on those very real waves.. and began to sink.  Just like Peter those the very real waves in my life overwhelmed me because I did not put my trust in the man who walks on water and calms the seas.

The good news is I did endure these storms and found over time how faithful and loving God was and is.  He is faithful where He changed me(but still a work in progress), and blessed my wife and I with opportunities, and new friendships  that would not have existed if God had not remained silent to my storms. 

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You might say, well life is just turning around for you, but I believe it was God's Resounding Silence.  

The details of my storm(s) are not important except to say.. I am so thankful for God's love and His providence, and His answers to my prayers were to..  
“Be still, and know that He is God." Ps 46:10

Be still, be faithful, be listening, be prayerful, and enjoy the Resounding Silence of God.

Blessings

​Jeff (actually wearing Hearing Aids) Larson

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