I love the times when God is speaking and revealing Himself to us! There is nothing better than that. Times like that are wonderful seasons in God. I wish we could live in those for eternity. But just as there are seasons on earth – there are also seasons in the spirit.
Most of us would love to have spring or summer all year round. However, winter is also necessary. It is part of the seasons of life.
Without winter, summer wouldn’t be so appreciated. Instead, it would be taken for granted. So, it is in the seasons of God.
We all find out, at one time or another, there are times when God is not speaking. When God seems far away. Times…when God is silent.
Isaiah once declared, “Surely you are a God who hides yourself.” David and Job both cried out, “Why do you hide your face from me?” The Jewish people called this the Mask of Yahweh. When God hides His face.
Does He hide His face because He is mad at you? Does He hide His face because you have sinned or disappointed Him? Has He departed from you? No, the word of God says that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Therefore, if God departed from us, He would be breaking His Word and He never goes against His Word.
Insight about this side of God can be found in the Song of Solomon. She was seeking the One whom her soul loved, yet His presence continued to elude her. When God hides His face, it is for a purpose. His desire is that we seek Him out.
It may feel like a dry and empty place but if we press into God, we find Him in a way we may have never known before.
Several months ago, God spoke something to me that I didn’t understand. He said, “In My silence you will find My glory.”
When He spoke this to me, it was at a time I was hearing from God daily and was experiencing a wonderful time in His presence. It was a great season.
Then it changed, and I walked through a winter season with God. It was quiet and silent and dry, and I didn’t hear from God clearly for a long period of time.
If that wasn’t bad enough, challenging times began to enter my life. One after another. I desperately needed to hear from God. Daily I cried out for His voice, yet, I only heard silence.
I remembered His words; “In My silence you will find My glory.”
I could have allowed that silence to stop me, but I didn’t. I chose instead to press in to God. To find Him in the silence. To find Him in the darkness. I knew if I could find Him, He would illuminate my path and I could find my way out of that season. I pressed. I didn’t once think that God was mad at me or had left me. I had been this way before. Instead I knew to pursue Him. To seek for the one whom my soul loved – and I did. I found Him in the silence. And in that silence, I found a great peace. That peace began to invade my life until I was absolutely certain, I had found Him.
In the silence, seek Him. In the silence, press into Him. Get your mind off your challenges and get your mind on God. Remember, we are kept in perfect peace…when our mind is stayed upon Him and we trust in Him.
He is right there. In the silence. When it seems dark. When you feel alone. When you wonder if you messed up. When you feel lost. He is there, waiting on you to pursue Him.
Wanting you to find Him and knowing that you will. He knows you won’t quit until you do. He knows you can’t stop until you find the One your soul loves…and then His mask comes off. And you behold Him face to face.
When you behold Him, you will know, winter has passed, and the time of singing of birds has come, along with His glory.