The Silence
God spoke to His people, reiterated promises, orchestrated the exodus, and built the nation of Israel through the times of the judges and the kings. Prophets brought His messages to the people - rebuke, exhortation, encouragement, judgment, glimpses into the future.
And then...nothing.
Roughly four hundred years of deafening silence.
From a human perspective, it would seem like the Story had come to a screeching halt.
Generations came and went - what were they thinking, I wonder? Did they remember the promises? Were they waiting, hopeful? Were they despairing or frightened or cynical? Did it seem like God had forgotten them, tossed them aside?
Advent reminds us that God can be trusted with the silence. Nothing is strong enough to derail His Story and even when all seems dark and still, He. is. at work. What He starts, He will always finish. What He promises to do, He'll accomplish in His own perfect timing.
Silence is not something to fear. It can be a tool God uses - both for us as individuals and as communities - to prepare us for the next part of the Story.
Today I pray for myself and for you, that we'll turn our faces to the Lord when silence comes. That we'll be eager, anticipating what He will do next. That we'll remember the silences of history and His faithfulness through each of them.
Today, be still and remember that the Story isn't over. There is hope. There is peace. There is joy. He is with us, our Emmanuel even in the silence.
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