Lord, I'm Listening, but I Can't Hear You

I'm not a fan of silence. Maybe it's because I have tinnitus, that constant ringing in my ears that somehow feels louder when everything else is quiet. Or maybe it's just that silence feels uncomfortable, like something's missing, like I should be hearing something but I'm not.

And that's exactly how it feels when I'm seeking God and all I hear is quiet. I'm asking, seeking, listening, desperate for direction, for clarity, for just one clear word from God about what to do next. And I hear… nothing. Just silence. And it makes me wonder: Am I missing something? Am I not listening hard enough? Have I done something to make Him stop speaking?

The silence can feel like abandonment, even though I know theologically that's not true. But when you need answers and all you get is quiet, it's hard not to take it personally.

I'm learning, slowly, that God's silence doesn't mean His absence. It doesn't mean He's ignoring me or that I've done something wrong. Sometimes the silence itself is the answer. Not the one I want, but the one I need. Wait. Trust. Rest in what you already know while I work on what you don't yet see.

The psalmist knew this tension. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." He didn't just say it once, he said it twice, like he needed to convince himself. Waiting requires strength. It requires courage. It requires believing that God is working even when you can't hear Him.

Today, even when you can't hear Him, choose to believe He hears you. And His silence isn't rejection, it's preparation for what comes next.