Dear People Who Keep Company With God,
Have you ever wondered why God seems silent when you need to hear from Him the most? We all have. I believe that nothing happens in the kingdom until something is said and I also believe there is power in silence. Otherwise, God would not be silent at times. So there is a divine tension in speaking and in silence. This is about His silent presence.
Jesus gave insight on this when He said, “If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness” (John 5:31-33). Luke picks up on this in the book of Acts, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8). It does not say, “You shall do witnessing,” but “You shall be witnesses.” The Holy Spirit causes us to become a witness, not just say something.
I experienced the reality of this when a friend called and wanted to come over and talk. He had been a successful businessman, but fell on hard times and basically lost everything. He was struggling just to feed his family. This was serious so I asked the Lord, “What shall I tell him?” The Lord responded, “Don’t be Job’s friends.”
That evening I said very little and listened a lot. Because of this I was allowed to witness something amazing. I watched my friend come to the end of his self; he came to a place of real surrender. It was a holy moment. Within a couple of weeks there was a turnaround in his life.
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. Job 2:11-13
That is a beautiful picture, but it went down hill from there. Job’s three friends initially got it right. They allowed the presence of God to be known by just showing up. They met Job on his ash heap and offered the compassion of a silent presence. For seven days they sat with him on the ground and no one said a word. They are not even the ones who broke the silence, Job was. Pain has a voice that must be spoken for the good of the one suffering, but sometimes comfort is best when silent.
As long as they sat in their silence Job’s friends were just being the presence of God. But once they opened their mouths the heavens became brass. God even ends up telling them, “You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has (42:7).”
Becky and I lost a child 31 years ago this November 14th. We were crushed. We had many friends and acquaintances offer comfort. I can’t remember all the words that were spoken, but some of it was not good. However, there was one friend who said something that has stuck with me all these years. She said when she heard of our loss, she crawled in the bed with one of her children and wept. It was as if Jesus Himself weeping for us. That was comforting and healing.
Sometimes it is best to just be.
Many Blessings, BW