“For Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)

There are times in our lives we experience periods of silence from God, where it feels like we have been abandoned with no reason why and no sign of Him making a reintroduction any time soon. It makes us question the validity of the previous experiences we’ve had with Him, if we can really trust Him with the future and if He ever really existed in our past. These times of silence are frustrating, lonely and confusing. They feel like a direct contradiction to who God claims to be.

Although these feelings are fair and have been experienced by many, they do not warrant anything from God. The truth is that God does not owe us anything. He does not owe us warm, fuzzy feelings or a break in the clouds where He calls out with a clear answer to our questions. Our obedience and love to Him are not contingent on how many of our prayers He answers or the number of blessings He gives us or even how often we feel Him in our lives.

Again, He does not owe us anything. He already won the game when He died on the cross and offered us salvation through His blood. Based on that act, and that act alone, He warrants worship, obedience and a reverent love from everyone that walks the Earth. This is so beautifully portrayed in Psalm 13, where a tired man wrote six verses calling out to the Lord. Through these verses, you can see how the man expresses his frustration and hurt, yet ends the psalm with a recognition of the Lord and His true position and authority. He doesn’t undermine his own emotions of abandonment and confusion, but pairs those emotions with an understanding of God’s faithfulness and understanding of what God did for us all those years ago in Calvary. Here is Psalm 13 for you to read:

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the Lord’s praise,

for he has been good to me.”

These verses remind us to approach God with humility and in remembrance of what He has already done for us. God deserves all the praise and worship, not because of what He is doing (or not doing) in your life right now, but because of what He has already done for all of humanity.

And yet, although He does not have to, He goes beyond that incredible, saving act. He offers us even more love and kindness by desiring a relationship with us. He doesn’t have to perform miracles in our lives, answer our prayers or flood us with His peace and love. But He does. He is so good to us, even when we act in greed and entitlement.

So next time you find yourself in a period of silence from the Lord, remind yourself of the ultimate sacrifice and act of love He has already made for you and for me. Then, remind yourself of the prayers that He has answered in your life. Don’t let the enemy fill your heart with lies that tell you He’s never been there with you because He has. And don’t project loneliness onto your future with God because He has much bigger plans for you. Use this time of quietness to explore more of His character, to grow in trust with Him and to remember just how incredible He is and how much He has done for you.

Grand Canyon University is passionate about helping all members of the GCU community grow in their personal relationship with God. To learn more about GCU’s Christian identity and heritage, visit our website or use the Request More Information button on this page.