Not Yet…, Part 4: When God Goes Silent

Grant Fihsbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

I don’t believe God is , ever.

For 400 years, God was .

730 years before Jesus: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

700 years before Jesus: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

500 years before Jesus: Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9

433 years before Jesus: “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. Malachi 3:1

Human Responses When God is Quiet

– O God, do not keep silent, be not quiet, O God, be not still… Psalm 83:1

– My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Psalm 6:3

– My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Psalm 22:1

– Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Psalm 51:14

– Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Ps. 42:5a

The same king wrote Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…

…your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

When you are waiting and it’s quiet, remember….

Perceived silence is not .

Quiet is an .

When you are struggling to hear what God is saying, go back to what he has .

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27-18

Sometimes the longest waits are ushering in the .

There is time coming when “not yet” will be replaced with “.”

Galatians 4:4-7
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Small Group Questions

1. What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
2. How do you handle waiting?
3. How do you respond when God is quiet? Read the “Human Response” section above and all of the scriptures out loud. Is there one that resonates with you? Why?
4. Read Psalm 23. What does the God of “not yet” say to you about your journey?
5. What miracle are you waiting for? As you wait for the “right now,” what do you need to say to God about his timing?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?