400 Years?

This morning I woke early and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided I might as well face the day. Went downstairs to have some alone time. Loaded the dishwasher, started the sprinklers, and wanted to clear some thoughts with God. I was reminded of some things I already knew, but sometimes another reminder is always good. It keeps us focused and remembering.

After 400 years of silence from God between Malachi and Matthew, the Word of God came (Luke 3:2). What happened during that time? Was God sleeping? Or was His very precise, meticulous plan continuing during a time when there seemed to be no "fresh" encounter with Him. What did the people of that time cling to when they were waiting for God to reveal Himself? The Law? Legalism? Sameness? What where their securities? What do we embrace when God seems silent in our lives? Do we wait patiently or sometimes not so patiently in faith, or do we turn to old ways and actions?

Do we realize that life on earth is a detailed plan? In the beginning, God...and in the end, God. Alpha. Omega. First. Last. What about in between? Are we just existing? Or does God, who planned everything to perfection leave the in between times to just happen? I think not. The God who placed the stars in the sky, placed the sun at the perfect distance away, made man from dust, formatted DNA, created the atmosphere to have the proper levels of breathable gases, certainly doesn't leave us on our own. Even when God is silent, He is acting. Just because He's silent doesn't mean He's sleeping. Just how busy may God's hands be working when His mouth seems closed? What do we do when God is silent to us? What do we cling to? What are our security blankets? Are they good or bad? Habits? Sameness? Restlessness? Pain? Do our security blankets keep us from change? Do they keep us from realizing that it's about the relationship? Are we clinging to Him? Or something altogether unlike Him?

In all of our lives, we can have times when God is silent, He seems distant, and we wonder where in the world He is. Hello God, Are you out there? Rest assured, He's right there. He hasn't moved. He's the same, yesterday, today and forever. Just because He's silent doesn't mean He's asleep. He has a plan for us and a will for our lives just as detailed as all of His other plans. We must find a fresh encounter with Him and work on "us" and know that His Hands are moving on our behalf, don't be hindered because God seems silent in our lives, for surely He won't be silent for another 400 years. ~ST