The silent period of God..

We all are aware of God’s silence. This silence of God is not for our destruction but for a constructive purpose. This silent period may irritate us, may lead us to depression but the way of God is mysterious. This irritation and depression are further aggravated by the noise of others. When we see others enjoying the company of God, we may feel miserable. Often this silence of God is broken by the action and promise of God.

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”    Genesis 46:2,4

Jacob a man of God who wrestled with God and received the name Israel. God helped him in every way. He promised Jacob to watch over him and provided him with food to eat and clothes to wear. God even showed him how to multiply his flocks when Laban changed his wages. That intimacy of God vanished when Joseph was sold by his brothers. Not even once did God show Jacob that your son Joseph is still alive. For many years Jacob thought Joseph is no more. God remained silent. Why? God helped Joseph on his way down to Egypt. God was with Jacob. But God knows what to reveal and what not to reveal. He is a wise God. In this period’s time God changed three people.

Joseph

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. THEN HE REMEMBERED HIS DREAM about them…Genesis 42:8,9

Joseph, a seventeen-year-old boy. Beloved son of Jacob, and a traitor for his brothers, saw a dream. A dream that changed his life. A dream given by God himself. But the trauma he faced, made him forget all his dreams. Begging his brothers, he pleaded for his life, but he lost sight of his initial dream. He transformed into a dream translator, aiding others in deciphering their visions, yet neglecting his own dream. Through self-discovery, he came to grasp the presence of God’s spirit within himself. Later on, he liked to brag that he knew divination. For He made the divination of Egypt a joke. But God reminded this mature and tested Joseph his own dream or the great promise of God.

Jacob

Jacob used to love Joseph more than his brothers. But when he lost him, he was dismayed. He was grief-stricken. When he knew that the lord of Egypt spoke harshly to his sons, he was further wounded. All he wanted now was to head down to the grave peacefully. Throughout the passing years, God maintained a silent demeanor towards Jacob. However, on the fateful day when Jacob resolved to embark on the journey to Egypt to reunite with his son Joseph, God finally broke the silence. During those intervening periods, God keenly observed Jacob, comprehending the deepest longings of his heart. God bestowed upon Jacob a promise, assuring him that Joseph himself would be the one to tenderly close his eyes in the final moments.

Judah

“Now then, please let your servant remain here as my Lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father.” Genesis 44:33,34

Judah was responsible for the plight of Joseph. He was the one who gave others the idea to sell him. But he spared Joseph’s lives thinking him to be his own blood and flesh. After selling Joseph and seeing the grief-stricken father. He was greatly moved. As we can see that Judah left his brothers and family. He tried to start a new life with a family. But the death of his sons and everything that he went through changed him. Taking responsibility without hesitation, he willingly accepted the blame. He stood prepared to become Joseph’s slave, offering himself in place of Benjamin. Deep within, he comprehended the gravity of his error and acknowledged his mistake.

In our lives when God remains quiet, remember that God is waiting for a Joseph to get matured, a Jacob, to know his desire, a Judah, to repent. For in those silent periods, God’s fashioning the arrows that needs to be placed at the QUIVER OF GOD.