Gaining Wisdom from God's Silence
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August 9, 2006The question has come up on the blog about whether God is ever silent. After all, didn’t He promise to give wisdom to those who ask in James 1:5? Isn’t it a matter of us not hearing more than it is a matter of God not speaking? Those two excellent viewpoints, raised by Meredith on the blog, merit consideration.
In James 1:5, God does promise to give wisdom to those who ask, but the passage continues, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” So while we are looking for reasons to blame ourselves for not hearing God, it may very well be that we are not asking with a confident expectation that we will receive our answer. Or we could simply be expecting to “hear” God when in fact He wants us to “see”.
Remember the promise was to receive wisdom (not information) when we ask in faith. If your child is struggling with a math question and asks you for wisdom, would you be helping them by telling them the answer? Wouldn’t it be more instructive to either ask the child another question that will stimulate the necessary logic to solve the problem or to hold back on answering altogether while they struggle to figure it out, thereby forever owning the wisdom that came with the solving of the problem?
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Comments (13) - Post a Comment
This question is a very interesting one. I wondered the same thing years ago but from a communication stand point, i believe Yahweh(God) wants us more to be silent than He would be to us. e.g He instructed the children of Israel through Joshua to keep silent as they walked around the walls of Jericho six times and then the seventh time to shout, destroying the walls and giving them victory over the enemy. Remember also He was silent at the crucifiction of his Son Yahushua (Jesus) \"My El My El why have you forsaken Me\".
g b at 5:54am EDT - August 10, 2006
i believe that God is never silent because he promised that he will answer each and every prayer that we make when He said \"before they call I will answer while they are still speaking i will hear>> Isaiah 65:24\" and He said to Jeremaih \"Call unto me I will answer you and I will show you the greate and the unsearchable things that you don't know>> Jeremaih 33:3\" and Jesus said \"whatsoever you will ask in my name you will receive it so that the Father will be glorified in the Son\"
from Mathews Kau (+27 84 814 4966) South Africa.. God bless -:)
Mathews Kau. at 7:31am EDT - August 10, 2006
We welcome you Mathews Kau from South Africa! Appreciate you weighing in on this topic. One thought to consider.... My wife can look at me with her eyes and communicate much without saying anything. I believe God has many ways to answer and some of them may include silence but still have the answer. Selah.
Michael Pink at 8:46am EDT - August 10, 2006
The definition of Wisdom is knowledge put into action. Proverbs is full of wisdom and gives examples of how to relate that wisdom to everyday life. Many times I find that I know what I should do, yet I want an alternate route. I believe that God is always speaking through His word, His Holy Spirit, circumstances, and other people. I feel that many times when we ask God for wisdom He says that He has already given us the answer! We just have to seek it out through the vehicles that He has given us. Our interpretation of God's silence is nothing more than our unwillingness to take Him at His word and seek out an answer.
Kevin Marzi at 8:50am EDT - August 10, 2006
If you aren't hearing from God, it certainly isn't because He isn't there. We often want to get a rhema word to offer direction, purpose, or peace in a situation. There are times when we just aren't tuned in properly to hear Him. So, if you want a rhema word, go to the written (logos) word and start reading. His reply may be revealed in the logos word, or the logos word may help your spirit to get dialed in where you can effectively hear His rhema word for your situation.
Steve Shelby at 8:50am EDT - August 10, 2006
I really loved the analogy you give at the end of this devotional. I often struggle with wanting God to just tell me what to do. Sometimes He does and it's clear. Other times He doesn't and I usually don't act. But why would God (our Father) always just give His children the answer and not ever have us seek out the solution, obviously with His guidance. \"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.\" Proversb 25:2
Pierre at 9:23am EDT - August 10, 2006
Wisdom is not something that just happens in our lives. It does not come through a \"microwave\" process, rather we learn line upon line, precept upon precept as Isiah tells us. The post about the Proverbs and gaining wisdom from the scriptures is right on, as we learn about God and His word we gain in wisdom. Even Jesus grew in wisdom, Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Wisdom is often referred to as properly applied wisdom. It is not just knowing things (information) but the timely application of that knowledge. As we fed on the Word and learn more about the Word and get more of the Word in us - and we combine that we life experience and the working of the Holy Spirit we grow in wisdom - just like Jesus did (who is our pattern, example, and leader),
Jay at 9:25am EDT - August 10, 2006
Sometimes we may think we don't hear from Him because we don't like the answer we are getting. Sometimes I think His silence is to get us to search our heart and His deeper. Like others, get into the word and it will lead you. Sometimes we want our way so we just don't want to hear. Blessings
Alice at 9:48am EDT - August 10, 2006
Just checking back in on the feedback here. I am humbled by the corporate insight! It gives me a different view of what church services might have been like in the first century with many individuals sharing a song or a psalm or some insight God had given them and the corporate word residing in them would have been much bigger than the best individual word in just one person. You all have contributed much to me today! Thank you!
Michael Pink at 10:13am EDT - August 10, 2006
perhaps His silence is a time for our faith to grow and for us to develop into the people He will use for His next step in the purpose for our lives. perhaps this is a good time to go back in our lives and see all the things He has done for and with us - check out our monuments along the way.
lee ann at 12:11pm EDT - August 10, 2006
I%u2019ve felt sometimes I%u2019m not the fortunate one who hears God speak in such definite terms, giving me direct instructions or directions.
Then I have considered these questions.
Am I expecting it? Am I anticipating it? Am I listening? Would I believe it? Would I be obedient to it?
God does speak, because God does act. He has prepared, He does prepare and He will prepare our way.
If God sometimes seems silent, maybe He%u2019s already spoken is waiting for our response, our obedience, our acting in faith to His Word. I would add that God's seeming silence allows us to check our obedience to His Word already given. As Pink said, Are we babies or are we mature, thinking, Spirit filled believers, into the Word so that we can think God's thoughts in our decisions.
Renda at 6:27pm EDT - August 10, 2006
Very good point, but I find that sometimes we do not hear God because we are not listedning. \"Be still and know that I am God\".
There are times when all we need to do is sit in silence before Him and allow Him to fill us. Intimate moments are sometimes the most silent, a state of just Being.
Olga at 7:47am EDT - August 11, 2006
God Silent?Never, look around you, there is no better explanation of how all this thing came to existence.
Mulalo Ramonedi at 3:36am EDT - August 25, 2006