Silence.
As a mom, silence is almost never a good thing.
Silence usually means the toddler is getting into something. The dog is acting suspicious. The teenager is hiding out somewhere, trying to process life. You know what I mean... silence usually means something is happening.
Sometimes silence can be the loudest sound in the room.
After an argument with your spouse or a friend, the silence can feel so heavy you could cut it with a knife.
But what about when it feels like God is silent?
I've been there. I'm guessing you have too. Maybe you're there right now.
You've prayed until you don't know what else to say. You've cried. You've waited. You've asked the same questions over and over.
"God... where are You? Why aren't You answering? Why does life look like this?"
Lately, God has been taking me on a journey through the book of Psalms but not in the way you might expect.
Every day I'm handwriting one Psalm. Just one.
At that pace it'll take me 150 days. Nearly five months.
Some might think that's slow, but maybe that's exactly the point.
Because when God feels silent, I want to stay close enough to hear His whisper when He speaks.
When I teach kindergarten or lead Kids Church, if the room gets too loud, I don't raise my voice. I lower it. I begin to whisper the directions. And almost every time, something amazing happens. The kids get quieter too because they have to lean in to hear me.
Sometimes I wonder if God does the same thing with us.
Our lives get so loud our schedules, our fears, our opinions, our distractions that maybe He whispers, inviting us to slow down, quiet our hearts, and lean in a little closer.
That's one of the reasons I love the book of Psalms.
So much of it was written by David, and two themes echo through nearly every page: lament and praise.
David wasn't afraid to pour out his grief, his fear, his questions, and his frustrations before God. Yet somehow those same prayers almost always find their way back to worship.
The Psalms remind us that God isn't intimidated by our questions. He welcomes honest hearts.
David writes:
"O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but You. Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to You and wait expectantly."Psalm 5:1–3
I love those last two words:
Wait expectantly.
Not because David already had the answer.
Not because life suddenly got easier.
But because he trusted the One he was waiting on.
When our faith feels weak and hope seems distant, that's not the time to walk away from God. That's the time to dig a little deeper. God has never abandoned His people, and He isn't about to start with you. Scripture promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His presence isn't based on our feelings; it's based on His character.
Maybe He's testing your faith. Or maybe He's speaking so softly that He's inviting you to quiet everything else long enough to hear Him.
When I walk through seasons like that, two things always help me.
First, I remind myself of who God says He is.
El Roi - The God who sees me.
Jehovah Jireh - The Lord who provides.
Jehovah Rapha - The Lord who heals.
Jehovah Tsuri - The Lord who is my Rock.
Jehovah Sabaoth - The Lord of Heaven's Armies.
Then I remind myself of what He's promised.
Hebrews 6:18 & Numbers 23:19 God cannot lie or change His mind.
Hebrews 13:5 He will never leave me.
Romans 8:38–39 Nothing can separate me from His love.
Philippians 4:7 He gives peace that surpasses understanding.
Sometimes my heart doesn't need a brand-new revelation. It just needs to remember what God has already said. So if heaven feels quiet today, you're not alone.
Keep praying.
Keep reading.
Keep showing up.
Keep leaning in.
The God who seems silent is still present. He's still working. He's still writing your story. And maybe … just maybe … He's whispering so you'll come a little closer.
XOXO Whitney