When God Hears, but Does Not Answer

    

   We all want to be heard.  There’s something about having our words acknowledged and deemed important by someone else.   We want to know that someone understands how we feel  and that  they can sympathize with us.  In Psalm 22:2, we can relate to the words of the Messiah when He says, “O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”   How many times have we felt like God is not hearing us?  How many times have we felt like our words bounce back to us when we pray?  We all have felt this way at some time or another.  It can even be discouraging.   Yet, a couple of lines later in that same chapter, we see that the Messiah sings a new song, “Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast  heard me from the horns of unicorns.”  This is much different from his initial cry and prayer.  Hebrews 5:7 says it like this (referring to Jesus),

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard, in that he feared.  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered…”

Jesus, without a doubt, knew that every word he had prayed had been delivered and  heard. There was a peace in knowing this.    The interesting thing is that nothing had changed in Jesus’ situation.  He still made his way to the cross to be crucified.  He still had to learn true obedience to God’s will.  This is how he would be perfected and glorified.   A lost and dying world needed Him to be obedient.   It’s through his obedience that you and I can enjoy his salvation today.

      So here is what I want to tell you.  God hears you.  He hears every word that comes from your lips.  He hears your praise and worship, but he also hears your words of pain.  He hears those late night cries.  He hears those sighs of exhaustion because you feel you can’t go on anymore.  He hears your frustration.  He hears those fragrant prayers for your loved ones.  He hears those prayers for that special need that you have.  He hears you.  Your situation may not change immediately because there is still more perfecting that is needed in you.  Your prayer may not be answered because God is teaching to be obedient even when you don’t have your answered prayer yet, but rest assured that God hears you.  There is a peace in knowing that God hears you.  When you trust that His ear is open to your prayer, there is a faith that floods your soul that allows you to walk confidently through life even through the silence of God.  His silence does not equate to a closed ear.  His silence means that He is working on your behalf and believes that you have what it takes to trust him.   My greatest faith has come through His silence.  My prayer is that your faith will also grow through knowledge that God hears you.

Walking in confidence,

April