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Your Question:
Is God's silence a sign of abandonment?
Answer:
As a pastor, I've had my fair share of times when God's silence seemed like a sign of abandonment. But as I've grown in my faith, I've come to realize that God's silence is not always a sign of abandonment, but rather a sign of trust. When God is silent, it's often because He's trusting us to withstand an even bigger revelation. It's like the days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany, where God's silence was actually His answer. I recall times when I've felt like God was hiding His face from me, and I've wondered if He had abandoned me. But looking back, I see that those times of silence were actually opportunities for me to grow in my faith and trust in God's sovereignty. As the psalmist says, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Ps. 13:1) But even in those moments of despair, God was working behind the scenes, preparing me for even greater things. For me, God's silence has been a sign of trust, not abandonment. When I've refused to speak out of cowardice or malice, I've taken a step back as a Christian. But when I've learned to communicate with God and trust in His silence, I've found that it's led me to a deeper understanding of Himself. As the author says, "God's silence is the very proof that He has heard me." (emphasis mine) I've come to realize that God's silence is not a sign of abandonment, but rather a sign of His trust in me to withstand even greater revelations of Himself.
Sources:
my utmost for his highest
oswald chambers
psalms
tremper longman
sacred marriage
gary thomas
mark
eckhard schnabel
depression
edward welch
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