1 Samuel 28
Kids are smarter than you think.
When I was little, I figured out what kind of things I should ask permission for from my mom (playing with friends, staying out late, using the family car) and what things were better to ask my dad (having extra dessert, watching a movie instead of playing outside). The real genius, however, was asking one parent the same question after the other parent said, “no.” Essentially, you get double the chance of getting the answer you want if you play your cards right. Y’all know exactly what I am talking about, and some of you are still trying to pull this over on your parents.
Thankfully, parents (at least mine) are pretty smart too. My parents wouldn’t say anything if one of them had given us an answer prior. Their silence wasn’t a sign of indifference, it simply reaffirmed an answer that had already been given.
Sometimes God’s silence isn’t Him ignoring us. It’s reaffirming an answer He has already given.
Let’s talk about Saul. 1 Samuel illustrates God’s justice through His blessings for righteousness and destruction for disobedience. The Lord repeatedly warned Saul that his actions would bring destruction on Israel, yet Saul repeatedly did wicked in the eyes of the Lord. Finally, God “rejects Saul as king” (Chapter 15). Saul disobeyed the Lord’s command, and therefore deserved the consequences of his actions. Saul sees the first sign of God’s wrath in vs 5: “When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.” He “inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer” (vs 6). So Saul turns to a medium to call up Samuel to ask him what to do (i.e asking mom after dad already said, “no”). And wouldn’t ya know, Samuel simply repeats God’s warning (verses 18-19).
The Lord’s silence to Saul’s pleas in verse 6 were not him ignoring Saul. God had already given him an answer. Saul simply didn’t like the answer–so he looked elsewhere (looking to Samuel as the medium) for a better one.
We don’t like not getting our way or not getting the answer we want. We don’t like uncomfortable answers and uncomfortable situations.When we question God, “What should I do? What do you want? How do I handle this situation? How do I talk to this person?” we don’t always like His answers. At times, it is easier to pretend God didn’t answer at all. We pretend God is silent, and we look everywhere else for an answer, calling, or leading that He has already given us. Stubbornness is blinding.
Challenge
- What have you been asking God lately?
- Are you experiencing ‘God’s Silence’ because you don’t like his answer?
- When’s the last time God asked you to do something outside of your comfort zone? Did you do it? Why, or why not?
By Ellie Heethuis | Byron Center, MI