“I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.” Job 30:20
The third chapter of James tells us that our words are a restless evil, full of deadly poison. They are capable, just as a small match, of setting a great blaze that will rage into the future, causing untold harm, damage, and pain. But for a heart that holds malice, not only can words have this effect, but silence, it’s called the silent treatment. When you choose to withhold your words, withdraw from interaction, and leave the other person holding nothing but the emptiness of silence. The indifference of the silent treatment, can at times, cut far deeper than harsh words spewed in anger. The effect of silence can indeed hurt in its absence of anything. And it is in this similar arena that many times we classify the perceived silence of God. When we are expecting an answer from God, when we are expecting to see God fix our problems, heal our wounds, and manage our situation to our liking, perceived silence from Him can cause the most pious to quickly question their faith.
Today in Job chapter 30 we witness a Jekyll and Hyde moment. In the first part of the chapter, we get one of our best glimpses of the true purpose of the book of Job, pride. Many assume that the book of Job is merely a text on managing great suffering and loss, not so. The book of Job strikes at the core of all sin, pride. Job starts the chapter by pridefully pining that the very men he wouldn’t even hire to tend his dogs, now pass by him and spit in his direction. The very rabble that Job looked down upon, now look down upon him. And in his great pride, Job continues to wrestle with God. But Job soon shifts gears into a simple, perplexed soul. His prideful pining turns to prideful expectation. Job now speaks openly to God about his continued physical suffering, his mistreatment by God, and questions why God refuses to answer him. And in the midst of God wrestling with Job and winning, comes silence. Or rather what seemed to Job as silence. You see, as he endures great suffering, Job’s sense of time is altered. His desire for an answer has been quickened by his pain, and rightfully so. But in his hurry for a Godly solution, Job expects God to hurry. And this expectant formula will deal disappointment every time.
Although thousands of years apart, our situations today can easily mirror that of Job. Our pain, suffering, and dilemmas of life can have us looking upward for a Godly answer while tapping our feet impatiently. And when God doesn’t answer by the time our stopwatch reaches zero, we question not only God’s timetable, but the ways of God altogether. We can, in our prideful tendencies, assume that silence from God is indifference. That somehow us not receiving the answer we desire in the time constraint we set, God is showing lack of concern for us. More pain and heartache is caused in the life of the Christ-follower because of mis-construed silence from God than just about any other. Why will God not answer? Because God will not answer me and fix my problem right now, is He even there? Oh, how quickly we can slide down the slippery slope of assuming God has left us. But folks, as we sail the tumultuous seas of life and lose sight of God over the next wave, it doesn’t mean He has left. As we seek to take a visual sightline of God, don’t assume because your eye cannot behold Him, that He is not there. In fact, many times as we are looking far off for God, He is standing right behind us…the last place we ever thought to look. Today, don’t quickly assume that God is distant in His silence. In great faith, know that He is near, and His silence is not meant to harm, but to show you your great need of Him, each and every day, in all you face.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
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