Silence does not mean God isn’t working

 Genesis 6:8 states, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Similarly, Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as a “just man who walked with God.” These passages suggest that Noah had a pleasant and wonderful relationship with God.

One day, God approached Noah with a profound request. He was about to unleash a catastrophic flood upon the earth due to the rampant wickedness and violence of humanity. Despite the gravity of the situation, Noah diligently followed God’s instructions.

Noah, along with his family and all the necessary animals, was carefully placed inside the ark. As the rains began to pour, Noah patiently awaited the unfolding events.

Noah, the man who had walked with God daily, experienced an unprecedented silence for 150 days, equivalent to 4.9 months. During this period, he heard nothing from God. It was a time of profound introspection and uncertainty.

Imagine yourself in Noah’s shoes. Picture living in an ark, devoid of any guidance or direction from God. The silence was deafening, and the waiting was excruciating. How would you cope with such an ordeal? Could you endure the silence and the anticipation?

I can relate to Noah’s predicament. I often find myself impatient, especially when waiting for lab results, in line, or behind someone who seems to be going under the speed limit.

Why is it so challenging to remain still, quiet, and patient? Isaiah 64:4 says, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.”

‭‭Waiting is an inherent part of life, and we have become accustomed to instant gratification. Despite this, we continue to wait in various situations, such as doctor’s offices, traffic, and grocery store lines. Life is filled with periods of waiting, and we often become frustrated when things don’t happen as quickly as we desire, especially when we are called upon to wait for the Lord.

Consider the life of Abraham. Why did God take so long to fulfill His promise of Isaac? Abraham waited for 25 years before his promised son arrived.

Some answers to our questions never come, but God sees the entire picture, while we only perceive a fragment of it. His timing is always impeccable. When we rush into things, take matters into our own hands, or attempt to control the outcome, it usually leads to negative consequences. Abraham, for instance, took matters into his own hands and rushed the process, resulting in the birth of Ishmael, the father of the Arab nation.

Waiting for God can be challenging.

So, why does God sometimes remain silent? Is it a way of testing our faith? To see if we will remain faithful, trust Him even when we can’t see, believe that He is working, and feel His presence even when we can’t sense it?

The ancient Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before entering the promised land. As Moses states in Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV), “And you shall remember the entire way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Isaiah 64:4 further emphasizes that God works on our behalf when we wait for Him.

So, what does it mean to wait for the Lord? I found this definition from a “Got Questions” article that I read: “Waiting on the Lord involves the confident expectation of a positive result in which we place a great hope. This expectation is based on knowledge of and trust in God.”

“Confident expectation,” “hope,” and “trust in God”—these are all positive aspects of waiting for the Lord. And if we have experienced His faithfulness in the past, it can help us trust that He will be faithful again, in His timing and His way. 

So, God uses waiting as a time of testing, trusting that He will fulfill His promises. Remembering that He is in charge and in control. He is greater than all our fears and worries, and He isn’t surprised by what’s happening around us. Everything is part of His plan. If we let it, waiting can strengthen our faith. It teaches us to surrender control. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, learn patience and wait for the Lord. Then,

God remembers Noah, as mentioned in Genesis 8:1.

This isn’t like a human lapse of memory. “God remembers” places the emphasis on His faithfulness and everlasting care. He remembers His commitment.

So, when God seems silent and you think He has forgotten you, remember that He sees, hears, knows, and is working His plan in His timing. Take courage in Genesis 8:1, God remembered Noah, He remembers you.