Not A Word

 "And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.' But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, 'Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.' " Matthew 15:22-23...."What do we do when Jesus answers us 'not a word?' " Thom Gardner

"God answers prayer." The church has been teaching that since it's beginning, and He does, but in His way and time. That's where our testing comes. What do we do when we rend the heavens with our prayers, and all we receive in return is silence? Silence from Him, but usually, not from everyone else. Well meaning friends, even fellow believers will begin to push us to "do something." We've given Him what they, and often what we think is sufficient time. If He hasn't moved, we assume He must be telling us to take the matter into our own hands....and act. This is especially true in light of the circumstances that we're facing. They're huge and getting "huger." If we don't do something, we could lose everything. It's at this point that many give up. Are you at such a point right now?

Chris Tiegreen writes, "We don't have to know how things will turn out. We know the God who is sovereign over all things." When we are pressed on every side, with darkness growing darker, and still, He has not answered, still not replied a word, it is here that we press in upon Him. Tiegreen also writes, "When we're in trouble, we want out. Soon. God calls us deeper in." Too few of us ever discover that this is so. We're desperate to get out...soon. We don't understand His call to go deeper into Him, even in the most desperate of needs and situations.

As one reads the story of the Canaanite woman, it's easy to see Jesus as reluctant to help this woman. To think this is to not really know Him. He heard her voice and the pain within it. In His silence was an invitation to draw nearer to Him, and eventually, deeper in Him. She had to have heard the complaints of the disciples, tired of her cries and wanting to be rid of her. She wouldn't let go, not of her crying out, and not of the Lord she cried out to. Christ will always answer the prayers that will not let go. Yes, God answers prayer, but we need to understand that He answers true prayer, not the shallow requests that let off because they have never laid hold.

At root, as it is with all things in the faith walk, is, will we believe Him? Will we trust Him? He has promised to provide, make a way, deliver, and above all, see us safely home. He gives us no real info on how He'll do that. He also hasn't promised to give us a running commentary on what He's doing in the meantime. If He has chosen to answer us "not a word," His expectation is that we will "be still and know that He is God." Our flesh cannot do that. It can only be lived out in the power of His Holy Spirit. He may seem unloving, uncaring, and we may feel unnoticed. He is not, and we are not. When we hear no words from Him, He invites us to rest in Him. In the silence, He works. In the silence, we must rest and trust. What are you and I doing....in the silence?

Blessings,

Pastor O