Why are there times when God seems silent / absent in a believer’s life?

Response

When considering this question, one is reminded of Elijah and his escape from Jezebel. Elijah was a man of God whom God used to perform remarkable deeds. However, upon hearing that Jezebel had threatened his life, he fled (1 Kings chapter 19). Elijah prayed to the LORD and essentially expressed his grievances about his treatment: “He said, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too’” «And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. », (1 Kings 19:10). The LORD’s response to Elijah is remarkable: “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

In this passage of Scripture, we observe that Elijah’s perceptions were inaccurate. Elijah believed that God was silent and that he was the sole survivor. Not only was God not “silent,” but He had a remnant prepared so that Elijah was not alone: “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” «Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. », (1 Kings 19:18).

Ees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. », (1 Kings 19:18).

In our walk as born-again believers, it may seem that God is silent, but God is never silent. What looks like silence and inactivity to us is God allowing us the opportunity to listen to “the still small voice” and to see the provisions that He has made for us by faith. God is involved in every area of a believer’s life–the very hairs on our heads are numbered (Mark 10:30;Luke 12:7). However, there are times when we have to walk in obedience to the light that God has given us before He sheds more light on our path, because in this age of grace God speaks to us through His Word.

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’” (Isaiah 55:8-11).

Therefore, when God seems silent to us as born-again believers, it may mean that we have stopped listening to His voice, we have allowed the cares of this world to plug our spiritual ears, or we have neglected His Word. God does not speak to us today in signs, wonders, fire, or wind. His Spirit speaks to us through the Word, and in that Word we have the “words of life.”