God’s Silence

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Welcome to Order My Steps, The Christian Journey, and I'm your host, Reverend Corey Young.
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And today we're talking about something real, something that's deep.
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And that is what do you do when God is silent?
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When you've been praying, when you've been believing, when you've been seeking, and it feels like heaven is quiet.
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Have you ever been in a place where you prayed but didn't get an answer?
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You cried but didn't feel relief.
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You waited, but nothing changed.
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And you started wondering, God, are you even there?
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Let me help you with that today.
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Silence doesn't mean absence.
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Delay doesn't mean denial.
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God is still working, even when he's not speaking.
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Let's look into the word.
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Psalms chapter 13, verse 1 through 2 says something like this: How long without forget me, O Lord?
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This is King David talking, a man after God's own heart, a worshiper, a king, a believer.
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And even he said, Lord, how long?
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That lets us know something powerful.
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Even strong believers go through silent seasons.
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God's silence is not his absence.
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Just because you don't feel God doesn't mean God left you.
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Hebrews 13 and 5 says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
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And that's a promise.
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And God is not a man that he should lie.
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So if he said he's with you, he's with you, even when it feels quiet.
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So stop measuring God's presence by your feelings.
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God still can be present and silent at the same time.
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Because silence is a season of development.
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And what I mean by that is sometimes God will go quiet because He's working on you.
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In fact, Isaiah 40 and 31 says, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
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So waiting is not wasted time.
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Waited is training season.
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You don't build strength and comfort, but you build strength in waiting.
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God develops you in private before he reveals you in public.
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Let me repeat that again.
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God develops you in private before he reveals you in public.
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So don't rush what God is trying to grow.
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Because God is speaking.
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Some of us are missing God because we're looking for noise.
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But God doesn't always shout.
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1 King 19 says something like he wasn't in the wind, he wasn't in the earthquake, he wasn't in the fire, but he was in the still small voice.
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That means God may not be loud, but he's still speaking.
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Just because it's quiet doesn't mean it's empty.
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Silence sometimes tests your faith.
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This is where faith becomes real.
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2 Corinthians 5 says, We walk by faith, not by sight, not by feelings, not by emotions, not by what we hear.
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Faith says, even if I don't hear God, I still trust him.
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And that's when real faith shows up.
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And it shows up when God goes quiet.
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And when he goes quiet, just know God is working behind the scenes.
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Just because God is silent doesn't mean he's inactive.
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John chapter 11 mentions something about Jesus delayed before coming to Lazarus.
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And it looked like he didn't care.
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But what Jesus was doing, he was setting up a miracle.
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God may be quiet.
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He's quiet because he's preparing something greater than what you ask for.
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So I know it's been quiet.
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I know you've been praying.
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I know you've been waiting.
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But I'll share this with you.
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God has not forgotten about you.
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You may not hear him, but he's still moving.
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You may not feel him, but he's still working.
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And just because it's silent right now, it doesn't mean it's over.
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Because the same God that kept you yesterday is the same God that's going to bring you through today.
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And if you ever wonder how to trust God in silence, look at Jesus.
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There was silence before his accusers, there was silent on the cross, and there was even silent in the grave.
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But the most important part is early Sunday morning, Jesus got up.
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That's your reminder.
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God may be silent now, but resurrection power is on his way.
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So if this blessed you, share this with somebody who's in a silent season.
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Let us close with the word of prayer.
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Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus.
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We come before you right now, Lord, saying thank you.
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Thank you for being God.
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Even when we don't understand.
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Thank you for being present, even when it feels like things are quiet.
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Lord, you see every person that's listening right now.
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You see the ones who have been praying, waiting, hurting, and wondering.
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And God, in this moment, we ask you to strengthen their faith.
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Remind them that your silence doesn't mean you're absent.
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Remind them that you are still working behind the scenes.
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Father, give them peace in the middle of uncertainty.
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Give them strength to keep going when they feel like giving up.
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Give them faith to trust you, even when they don't hear you.
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Lord, help us walk by faith and not by sight.
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Help us to stand on your promises and not on our feelings.
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And God, we declare right now that every solid season will produce something powerful.
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We trust you, we believe you, and we lean on you.
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It's in Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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This is Reverend Corey Young, and remember, even when God is silent, let Him still order your steps.