August 31 No Response

August 31

No Response

1 Kings 18:26-29 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

IT is easy to mock the Baal priests, isn't it? They called out to nothing. No god or person heard their great noise; nor did any living supernatural being see their perverted actions. Elijah makes fun of them and their "no god". This was especially mocking to the Baal prophets. Baal was considered Master and Lord of the universe. To them Baal possessed special power over the sun. They would see the three-year drought as punishment from Baal.

    But let me ask you this: What do you do when God is silent? What if you legitimately call on the name of the Lord (See our previous day's study.) with a heart submissive to God's authority? What if you worship God in truth and in spirit, but there is only silence from Heaven?

    This can be a "mocking point" for many unbelievers. To them, a silent God is no God. How do we respond?

    We'll consider this more in a few days as we see what happens with Elijah after this contest. But for now, when we hear only silence from God, the Bible tells us to keep seeking him and to remain with him. We don't need to go to extravagant measures to wake him up or to call him back from lunch. True worship toward God is an expression that we are faithful to wait on his reply. His silence can be a reminder that he is sovereign, and you are not. In addition, silence sometimes is God's tool for helping us see and hear he is speaking in ways we don't anticipate. A silent God can be a voice of strength to draw you even nearer to him. This happened with Job. It happened with David. And it happened with Jesus. See this cry to God from David:

    Psalms 22:1 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed."

    From there the psalm goes on to prophesy Jesus' tortuous death and our Lord's loneliness on the cross. David in his despair and Jesus from the cross both cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus, your Savior, knows about the Father's silence. He knew in the silence the Father's will was being accomplished. Job, David and Jesus remained faithful to God, and God rewarded them.

    If God is silent toward you now, continue to seek him. Remember his promises. Remember the cross. Know he is the Living God. He will act in his time to personally speak his tender love to care abundantly for you.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your silence. Help me to faithfully pursue you when I don't hear what I want to hear from you. Tune my ears to your voice. Amen.