A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People (p. 136). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
I know I have wanted that at different times in my life.
Bob continues the thought by saying, “Maybe they mean they want to hear His audible voice. I’m not sure. I don’t think literally hearing something is what most of us are after. What we actually want is that extra nudge of confidence from God and the opportunity to move forward courageously to do those things we already know how to do. What a shame it would be if we were waiting for God to say something while He’s been waiting on us to do something. He speaks to me the loudest on the way. Simply put, if we want more faith, we need to do more stuff.”
He goes on, “Part of me really understands people’s hesitation. There have been times when I wanted to hear God’s voice—particularly when something really big mattered to me. The sad truth is, I’m often making too much racket to hear Him. He won’t try to shout over all the noise in our lives to get our attention. He speaks most clearly in the stillness desperation brings.
“I’ve also come to see the purpose and beauty in God’s silence. It’s like He’s telling me He knows my heart’s desires and what I’m thinking. He knows what He’s taught me. He’s seen when I’ve succeeded and when I’ve failed. From His point of view, that all rolls up into an unspoken whisper from Him I can almost hear saying, ‘You’ve got this.’ His biggest priority isn’t removing failure as an option but reminding me He loves me as I try. There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings.’ I love that. It’s a reminder to me God doesn’t just value the big endeavors that work and He isn’t afraid we’ll fail; instead, He delights in our attempts.”
He delights in my attempts. Later Bob says, “But God hasn’t been shouting instructions to me as I’ve made mistakes because He doesn’t need to. His silence isn’t indifference; it’s engagement. He isn’t quiet because He’s run out of things to say or is scared about the outcome. It’s because He already believes in me, just as much as He knows the outcome. He already believes in you too. He’s so confident we already know what to do next that He’s willing to be silent even when we ask for His voice. He doesn’t care as much as we do whether we perform perfectly or not. He just wants us to be His while we do it.
So, will you believe in Him and trust Him when He is silent and will you also believe in yourself?
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