When God Is Silent

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. [1 Samuel 3.1]

During Eli's tenure as priest, the condition above was the sad case.

It is not surprising that Eli's sons were scoundrels more so than men of God. Nor is it surprising, because they were scoundrels, that messages from God were rare.

In our lives today, would it not be reasonable to consider the causes and effects seen around us? Are we seeing and hearing God? If not, is it just because God is not moving or speaking? Or, is it possibly because our spiritual condition is anemic? I tend to believe the latter.

What is more concerning is that, among Christians, there exist segments that actually believe messages from God are non-existent outside the Bible and that visions are hype. When we have such a clear illustration of Eli's wicked family being so blatantly responsible for less "communication" from God, do we not do ourselves an injustice not to at least consider we might be in the same less-than-ideal spiritual condition and in need of repentance?

Think! Why would God stop interacting with His people just because everything was written in the Bible? Are we really to believe that God has said all He is ever going to say? NO! God never intended for us to stop actively seeking to interact with Him on every specific situation in which we find ourselves.

Some of the conclusions Christians have drawn about God are just silly. But, even worse, they are dangerous. They are dangerous in that they offer religious consolation that our not hearing messages or seeing visions from God are not conditions indicating the need for repentance, but are normal.

If I am wrong about this, I would rather be wrong in believing I need to repent MORE instead of being wrong in thinking I need to repent LESS!

Father, please forgive me for accepting so many worldly views about You. Help me to learn more about You every day in the Bible. But also help me to be open to any communication You wish to utilize to speak to me. Help me to understand that silence on Your end, is a good indication of the need for repentance on my end.