The Silent Treatment

WHEN GOD GIVES YOU THE SILENT TREATMENT, what should you do…  or think?  Is He like your wife, husband, mother-in-law, or boss who uses silence as a whip?  When it seems God isn’t the Love-God but the Angry-God, should you shake your fist, or fall on your face?
“Yeah, yeah I’ve read all the books and listened to the sermons,” you say, “but you’ve never walked in my shoes or faced what I’m facing!”
I know. I know.  But you’re not alone. Many times in the Old Testament people felt as you do. The Psalmist said,  “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”  (Psalm 13:1)  “Well, that was in the Bible and I need help right now!  See, you just don’t understand!”

Alright, let’s get to some answers.

1. In the past God actually spoke to people.  They heard Him. Sometimes He spoke through fire and miracles. This was followed by the prophets who spoke for God.  Later He spoke through His incarnate Son, Jesus The Messiah. (Hebrews 1:1-3)
2. When Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave us the Comforter, The Holy Spirit (Counselor, Advocate).  He, “the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually, for he lives with you AND WILL BE IN YOU.  (John 14:17)
3. Is He in you? Aside from your  feelings, do you believe that Jesus died to redeem you and that you repented of your sins and that you agreed to follow Him?  That’s the place to start!
4. When you think God is hiding His face, He isn’t.  God does not play hide & seek and He doesn’t want you to either.  You may have your eyes closed.  You may have abandoned your confidence in the power of the cross.  No, I’m not saying that you abandoned your salvation.  You may be a child of God, but you’re still a human being with all your weaknesses, faults and failures.  So get over it.
5. I’m not saying that life is always easy – been there, done that.  And,  I’m not saying that your feelings will always be in tip-top shape.  For pete’s sake, you may have a cold or the flu and some other emotionally draining challenge such as a failure in marriage or finances – even physically.  The question is, do you still believe in the God who said, “I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you?” He is there all the time.
6. Everything begins with a rock-solid conversion when you gave your past, present and future, those old things, to God, knowingly placing them in the sea of God’s forgetfulness – sins forgiven.    🎼🎶

“I’m not on an ego trip I’m nothing on my own
I made mistakes I often slip
Just common flesh and bones
But I’ll prove someday just why I say
I’m of a special kind
For when He was on the cross
I was on his mind.
“The look of love was on his face
Thorns were on his head
The blood was on his scarlet robe
Stained a crimson red
Though his eyes were on the crowd that day
He looked ahead in time
For when He was on the cross
I was on his mind.
“He knew me, yet he loved me
He whose glory makes the heavens shine
So unworthy of such mercy
Yet when he was on the cross
I was on his mind.”
(Gaither)