Where Is God?
A
couple had two mischievous boys, eight and ten years old, always causing
trouble. Fed up, the parents asked a pastor to talk to them. The pastor agreed
and called the younger boy in first. Sitting him down, the pastor leaned in and
said sternly, “Where is God?” The boy froze. The pastor tried again, louder,
“Where is God?” Still no answer. Finally, the pastor raised his voice and
pointed, “WHERE IS GOD?” Terrified, the boy bolted home, ran into the closet,
and slammed the door. His older brother found him and asked, “What happened?”
The boy whispered, “We’re in big trouble this time. God is missing—and they
think we did it!”[1] It’s funny, but it resonates deeply when we
face trials. In those moments, we too ask, Where
is God?
Disappointments
In
today’s passage we meet a godly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. The Bible says
that they were “righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord's
commandments and regulations.” (Luke 1:6, NLT) Naturally, we’d expect them to
live “happily ever after.” Yet, verse 7 reveals their heartache: “But they had no children because
Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. (v. 7) They were
living with the stigma of barrenness. In their culture, this was seen as a
disgrace (v. 25)—a sign of God’s curse or displeasure.
Can you imagine their pain and confusion? They prayed, waited, and longed, perhaps wondering, Where is God in all of this?
I think many of us in live in the tension between verse 6 (faith) and verse 7 (unmet desires). For some, it’s the loss of a loved one, financial struggles, or unanswered prayers. For others, it’s loneliness, depression, or broken relationships. While we might see God’s blessings in some areas, in others, we feel “barren” or hopeless, asking, Where is God?
Silence
In
the midst of their waiting, Zechariah encountered an angel who brought the astonishing
news: they would have a son. This child, John the Baptist, would prepare the
way for the Messiah. Surely it was an answer to his prayers. (v. 13) But it was
too good to believe. Zechariah doubted, asking, “How can I be sure of this? I
am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (v 18). The angel replied,
“Since you didn't believe what I said, you
will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words
will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” (vv. 19-20) That day Zechariah
entered a season of silence (nine months of silence) – a kind of “dark night of
the soul.” It wasn’t punishment but preparation, a time for him to trust God’s
word even when he couldn’t speak or hear.
In August 2007 TIME magazine had an amazing cover story titled “Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith.” Mother Teresa’s secret letters were made public by her mentor and colleagues. The letters show that she spent almost 50 years without sensing the presence of God in her life. In one of the letters that she exchanged with her mentor, Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, she says, “Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear…” In more than 40 communications, she compares the experience to hell, and at one point she says it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God. As she was walking through the dark times, her constant prayer was, “Lord Jesus, come, be my light.”
Embracing Silence
So
what’s the point of this season of solitude and silence? What’s the point of
the dark night of the soul? God allows these seasons not to harm us but to draw us closer to Him.
If the purpose of God’s love is to make us safe or happy, he could do that. He could protect us from all dangers, diseases, sufferings, and disappointments. Please don’t get me wrong. God does care for our safety and well-being. But that’s not the ultimate goal of his love. God’s love is not that we be healthy or wealthy and live a long, comfortable life. God’s love is not God’s making much of us. No! God’s love is God’s saving us from self-centeredness, which is, the root of all sin, so that we may enjoy making much of God forever. In his great love God allows us to enter a season of solitude and silence – the dark night of the soul – so that we can be set free from self-centeredness, unhealthy attachments. John Piper rightly said, “God’s love is giving people God. God’s love is showing people God. God’s love is getting people to God. God’s love is helping people be satisfied in God and be willing to lay down their lives for God.” God’s love is God-centered, not self-centered.
What should we do while going through a period of the silence of God? The first thing we can do is to embrace it and go back to basics, instead of denying it or running away from it. Walter Wangerin Jr.’s The Book of the Dun Cow is an allegorical tale set in a world before humans, where animals speak and embody virtues and vices. Chauntecleer, the proud rooster, leads a coop of animals who face evil forces led by Wyrm, a serpent symbolizing darkness and despair. The animals struggle against trials, betrayals, and loss, but they find strength in their daily rhythms of prayer and community. Their faithfulness to the "daily office" (spiritual practices) sustains them and ultimately overcomes the chaos.
This story beautifully illustrates how steadfast spiritual practices anchor us during life's darkest moments. Zechariah, though he was mute and deaf, didn’t become bitter; instead, he remained steadfast and returned to the basics. He kept praying, he kept serving, he kept holding onto God’s promises. Through these basic spiritual disciplines, he found strength to endure and carry him through this season. Recently, my father had to give up his job he had really enjoyed and was hospitalized for three weeks after a ruptured disk. He began a long recovery journey. When I talked to my mother on the phone the other day, she said, “Reciting the Bible verses is my lifeline and joy these days.” Returning to spiritual basic – prayer, scripture, and community – anchors us in life’s storms.
God Is with Us!
Nine
months passed. The Bible says, “When the
time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy.” (Luke
1:57, CEB) In time, God fulfilled what he promised. Zechariah and Elizabeth
were not forgotten. Their time of silence was temporary. God’s timing is perfect – always better than ours.
When the time had fully come, God sent his Son. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. And he will make all things new. Imagine – no more sickness, no more death, no more sorrow, but there will be answers, there will be purposes, there will be fullness of joy in God’s presence.
The songwriter, Bart Millard of MercyMe, wrote the song out of his personal grief after losing his father. His father, once abusive, became a transformed Christian before his death from cancer, deeply influencing Bart's faith journey. At his funeral, Bart’s grandmother said, “I can only imagine what he’s seeing now,” sparking the song. The song reflects Bart’s heartfelt question: what would it be like to stand in Jesus’ presence? This question brought him peace and hope as he processed his loss over many years. The song was written in just five minutes, but it captures years of internal struggle, prayer, and silence:
Surrounded
by Your glory
What
will my heart feel?
Will
I dance for You Jesus
Or
in awe of You be still?
…
I
can only imagine
I
can only imagine
Are
you struggling with doubts and disappointments? Are you struggling with the
silence and emptiness? You’re not alone. You’re not forgotten. This too shall
pass. Jesus is coming soon. Are you
ready? Let us be faithful. Let us live by faith, not by sight. And let our
hearts cry, “Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!”
[1] “Where
Is God?” https://christianfunnypictures.com/2017/03/god-joke-two-mischievous-brothers.html
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