When God Is Silent

King Saul was desperate. Facing a great Philistine army, he was overwhelmed with fear.

The prophet Samuel had died, and no one of his spiritual stature had taken his place. Saul needed to hear from God, but He was silent. As a result, he felt insecure, alone, and abandoned.

Through this silence, God was giving Saul an opportunity to react and reveal his true character. Earlier, Saul had shown himself to be spiritually immature when he refused to wait for Samuel to arrive and offer sacrifices (1 Samuel 13:1-14). On that occasion, Saul had revealed a willingness to ignore God’s instructions and go his own way. God said he had “acted foolishly” by not keeping His commands.

What did God want instead? “A man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Saul failed this test.

Facing the Philistine armies, Saul reacted in a similar way. What should he have done? He should have gotten right with God, confessing his sins and seeking the Lord with his whole heart. But instead of humbling himself and waiting on God, Saul sadly sought his own solution, reaching out to a medium.

Saul’s story has implications for each of us. What do we do when we face crises and God doesn’t seem to be speaking to us? How do we respond when He seems silent? Do we give up? Do we move ahead with our own reasoning and rely on our own conclusions?

You may face situations like this in your life—moments when God seems silent. These moments are tests to see how you will react. They reveal your real priorities and display whether you’ll truly serve God, no matter what He says or doesn’t say. Will you really trust Him?

Today, make a commitment to obey God in every situation. Wait on Him. Seek Him. Trust in Him.