Our relocation plan was simple. We’d rent a house for six months, get to know the area, and then we’d buy a home.
But my husband and I soon realized our plans wouldn’t come to fruition. We couldn’t get a home loan.
I was crushed. Trapped in a rental house in a new city where nothing felt familiar, I lacked a sense of belonging and couldn’t wait for our interim season to end.
Each day felt like a month. We waited for a loan, waited to paint walls, waited to buy furniture, waited to see what part of town we’d actually sink down roots.
Uncertainty about choosing schools and finding a new church burdened us. How could we establish relationships if we might move away?
Sure, my husband and I prayed about it. Sure, we asked God for direction and timing.
But we didn’t hear anything.
No writing in the sky. No finger inscription on the wall. No clear instruction.
God seemed to say nothing.
3 Biblical Responses When God Seems Silent
In seasons where it seems God’s voice is silent and we feel forgotten, finding a path to persevere in trusting God can be challenging. But even when God seems silent, we know He has already spoken.
We can bring all our concerns to the Lord, who always hears us. We can move forward and find encouragement as we consider three responses in the waiting.
1 – Remember God’s Faithfulness
“Be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” – Deuteronomy 6:12 HCSB
We can remember God’s faithfulness by both reading and writing.
Looking to His Word, we read accounts of people like Abraham and see God’s faithfulness in honoring His promise to give him a son. We read the story of Joseph and watch how God spent years by his side through suffering and leadership to ultimately feed and provide for a generation of people. We look to Jesus and see God’s fulfillment of prophecy.
We’re not forgotten in the silence; God is never inactive. God was gracious to His people in Scripture, and He remains gracious to us today.
After closing the pages of our Bibles, we can look to our journals for documentation of answered prayers and blessings in our lives. If we don’t already keep a record, we can begin writing these moments down so we can review them in the waiting.
2 – Recognize God’s Presence
“Then Elisha prayed, ‘Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.’ So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” – 2 Kings 6:17 HCSB
When God is silent in one area of life, we may overlook His voice in others. But He’s always working and present with us. We can recognize answers to prayers or winks of favor throughout our days.
We can pray for eyes to see the good already around us. We can thank God for every blessing we find—the big and the small, the repetitive and the uncommon.
The consistent sunrise reminds us of God’s faithfulness. The infinite array of stars illuminating the night sky sparks awe of God’s greatness. We see the Lord’s tenderness through His artistic display of flowers adorning the grass and new vegetation bursting forth in spring.
We don’t have to like waiting or feel joyful through every moment of it, but we can worship in our waiting because God never changes.
3 – Recite God’s Word
“I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously.” – Psalm 13:6 HCSB
We can recite truth over our future. We can confess the reliable, inerrant Word of God audibly. We can remind God of His promises while also reminding our own hearts of biblical truth.
We verbalize back to God the character He revealed to us throughout Scripture—He’s with us and always will be (Ps 23:4). We claim the power of His light over our darkness (Col 1:13).
God is able to do immeasurably more than we ever ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). We cling to this truth even when we can’t fully understand how God is at work.
We proclaim God’s greatness with our words and sing melodies with our lips. We can praise Him today because we know one day the suffering will end (Rv 21:4). The great battle is already complete (1 Cor 15:57).
Rest in the Finished Work of Christ
As we remember, recognize, and recite, we stake our conviction in the fulfillment of the cross. God promised a Savior, and He sent Jesus. God sent His greatest and best offering, showcasing the lengths to which He would go to rescue us (Rom 8:32).
The God we wait on is a God who loves us. He fights and claims victory over sin and death for us.
Our tender and compassionate God is with us every moment of our waiting. We can collapse into His arms because He’s faithful even when we’re faithless (2 Tm 2:13). The Lord will never leave us, never forsake us, never fall asleep.
We can stand confident in the rock-solid foundation of the written and incarnate Word. God is our guarantee (Heb 10:23).
Rejoice in the Midst of the Unfinished
My house-hunting story had a happy ending. God provided incredible relationships and family friendships because of our rental location. The timing of our move allowed us to find a house we can call home.
Still, other prayers and longings lie unfinished. I continue to wait on the restoration of relationships, fruit of labors, and healing.
When we find ourselves in seasons of waiting, let’s remember God’s faithfulness, recognize God’s presence, and recite God’s Word. The Lord planned our days since the beginning and knows exactly how to use our circumstances for good.
Jennifer Weichmann
Jennifer Weichmann is a wife, mom, carpool driver, sideline cheerleader, and snack supplier. She loves women’s ministry, time outside with her family, and sharing practical stories of Bible application through writing. She’s intentional about gospel reminders and highlighting God’s character. She can be found at www.soakingintheson.com.
