The Phone Call
By Lisa Boyer
“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways”
Job 37:5a
I was having one of those days when talking to a friend was just what I needed, so there I was waiting for a phone call… she said she’d call and I knew she would, I just didn’t know when. No, I didn’t sit by the phone and wait, but I made sure the phone was within earshot so I wouldn’t miss that call!
An hour passed, then two hours passed. She really should have called by now, I thought. But then I remembered… earlier in the day I had SILENCED my cell phone because of a meeting!!! Here I was waiting for a phone to ring that wouldn’t ring… not because my friend wouldn’t call, but because my phone would remain silent even when she did call!
Right after I fixed my phone, I began thinking about another Friend I was waiting to hear from. I’d been talking to Him a lot, but I hadn’t really been hearing back from Him. I began to review the connection between us to make sure I hadn’t done anything that might silence Him in my life….
- Was there sin in my life that would prevent me from hearing from Him? 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Was there unresolved conflict between me and someone else? Matthew 5:23, 24
- Was I in a state of intentional disobedience? James 4:17
But there’s another thing that can silence God….
The other day while driving to work, I was feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances of life and cried out to Him, asking how I was going to get through this. I fully expected an answer right then and there, some sort of reassurance to calm my heart. Then I realized how loud my heart’s cry was and wondered if I could even hear His answer. I paused and listened… but God was silent and my heart’s cry grew louder. There was a faint noise in the background and I tried to ignore the distraction. But as I again paused to listen for God’s answer, the background noise grew loud and clear, "Your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me" repeated the song on the radio. His answer? His grace would be enough for me!
That was close… my emotions had nearly drowned out His answer, making God appear silent.
GOING DEEPER:
1. If God has been silent, check the connection to see if there’s something you’ve done to prevent you from hearing Him well. Otherwise, will you trust Him and His timing?FURTHER READING:
Psalm 27:14
Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. She is a co-leader for a Junior High girls’ small group at Oakwood Church.
