{"id":12499,"date":"2014-10-16T18:23:27","date_gmt":"2014-10-17T01:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/osbornz.net\/amy\/?p=12499"},"modified":"2014-10-16T18:23:27","modified_gmt":"2014-10-17T01:23:27","slug":"when-god-is-silent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/osbornz.net\/amy\/?p=12499","title":{"rendered":"When God is Silent"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"whengodissilent\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ve been watching some friends be lied about and gossiped about for quite some time now. This post isn’t about them except that I’ve been praying and trying to encourage and lift them up. \u00c2\u00a0And, the Lord has been silent.<\/p>\n

The trial is not over. It continues and it’s not fair. \u00c2\u00a0And, the Lord is silent.<\/p>\n

Waiting on the Lord has been bringing up some pain for me that I’ve haven’t wanted to look at or think about. Times when only God could do something and yet, He didn’t. Situations where only He could change them and yet, He didn’t. I felt as dry and lifeless as that old nest I pictured above. \u00c2\u00a0But, eventually, through prayer and scriptures I would pull myself together and trust Him anyway.<\/p>\n

But this recent trial – not even mine – seems to be hitting me hard. Maybe it’s harder to watch others go through the valley than to travel it yourself. Or maybe it is time for me to deal with some stuff I’ve let sit for awhile.<\/p>\n

Today, through tears, I googled “When God is silent” and one of the first responses was a sermon by Charles Stanley by the same name. \u00c2\u00a0It really blessed me and I wanted to share parts of it\u00c2\u00a0with others as needed.<\/p>\n

I don’t think we need to examine times when God was silent, I’m sure each of us have our own stories, but one Mr. Stanley didn’t mention that always has struck me was all the times God was silent when Job was persecuted. It’s almost the end of the book before the Lord replies. \u00c2\u00a0(And, when He does, wow!) \u00c2\u00a0But all that time, Job had to sit there, mourning and grieving. \u00c2\u00a0A wife who just wanted him to curse God and die! And friends who were sure there was sin to confess! \u00c2\u00a0I’m sure you’ve heard “Where there’s smoke…” \u00c2\u00a0\ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n

Mr. Stanley moves on from his examples and right into WHY?! \u00c2\u00a0Yes! My heart cried, “WHY?!” Mr. Stanley listed 7 reasons and a couple\u00c2\u00a0really stood out to me:<\/p>\n