Recently my life has taken several dramatic — and even traumatic — turns which include divorce, graduation, moving, returning to the world of dating, finding a job, and building a career. When my heart and spirit crumbled after my husband left me, I felt the love and power of God like a brace on a damaged limb. Now that I am more stable and on sturdier ground, I experience feelings of insecurity and doubts about my future. I continue praying for guidance and am actively seeking where I need to be and what the Lord needs from me, yet despite my active faith and prayers, I feel God is silent.
I know I’m not alone in hearing God’s silence. Most of us have experienced the precarious tightrope of wondering where the Lord needs us and what our future holds. It’s a frightening experience. We have goals, ambitions, and we like having a plan. God’s silence forces us to place ever more blind trust in Him and His plans for us.
As I practice what feels like extreme amounts of blind trust, I strive to better understand the Lord and how He works. While pondering and studying how Heavenly Father answers prayers and blesses His children, I have learned what is required and expected of us as God’s children and willing servants upon this earth. To summarize what is expected of us in a single sentence I would say: Using active faith, wait upon the Lord as He sheds His light little by little, and see the purposes and blessings of God unfold clearer and greater than before.
When God is silent, it’s difficult to exercise faith and feel strong enough to wait upon the Lord. While experiencing my own struggles with God’s silence, I have learned five principles that can help anyone who is in a place of uncertainty and experiencing what I call “blind trust”.
1. RIGHTEOUS LIVING ENTITLES US TO CONSTANT DIVINE GUIDANCE
When God is silent I tend to doubt myself and the choices I make. This leaves me feeling alone, insecure, and wondering, “What is God’s plan for me?” “What is it I’m missing in my life right now?” Often I have to wait to hear it again, but the answer is simple.
When we honor our covenants and strive to be more like our Savior, we are entitled to a constant stream of divine guidance through the influence and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
When we live a righteous life and make constant strides to be more like our Savior, we ensure for ourselves guidance in our times of need. You may be thinking, “I am. I’m serving in my calling, at home, the temple, and I’m keeping my covenants! I’m even reading my scriptures and praying, but heaven still seems dormant.” Those are thoughts and feelings I am all too familiar with, but God’s ways are not our ways.
When we come to crossroads of two or more good choices, the Lord often leaves the choice up to us because He trusts us to use our knowledge and understanding of right and wrong. As we perceive our lives and choices in the grand scheme of things – The Plan of Happiness – we will not be lead astray. While we wait, we must continue living worthy of divine guidance that we are entitled to. Appreciating this entitlement empowers us with the faith and patience as we wait upon the Lord.
2. GOD WILL HELP & BLESS US PERFECTLY
One challenging aspect of waiting upon the Lord is that He rarely answers when or how I want. I find myself wishing He would respond immediately or asking, “Can’t He send one of His angels to tell me what to do?” “Can He tell it to me straight in the priesthood blessing I’m about to receive?” News flash! God doesn’t do that. Perhaps on rare occasions He does, and because those experiences are shared we look for them in our lives; I certainly have yet to experience anything like it. When God’s silence feels unbearable I have to remind myself what I believe: He knows best and help will come.
The Father is aware of us, knows our needs, and will help us perfectly. Sometimes that help is given in the very moment or at least soon after we ask for divine help. Sometimes our most earnest and worthy desires are not answered in the way we hope, but we find that God has greater blessings in store.
When and how our prayers are answered are a sign of God’s love for us. He knows our needs and will give us what we need when we need it, not when or how we think we need it. Even with our expanded understanding of life, it’s incomplete and we are trying to figure out how we fit into that plan. And so, “when our worthy desires are not granted in the way we had hoped, it may actually be for our ultimate benefit.” He knows us better than we know ourselves and has greater things in store for us than we can imagine. The intangibility of this can make it more difficult to hold on, but that is when we must act in faith.
3. FIRST FAITH, THEN POWER
Blessings and answers we receive are predicated on ongoing faith-inspired actions. It is after we act in faith, the blessings and power will come.“Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential.” Acting in faith requires us to make choices based on the knowledge and understanding we already have. Often, the faith-inspired actions are baby steps leading to something greater, pushing us out of our comfort zone. It seems that the Lord gives just enough light to feel confident in small decisions, but still expects us to wait and trust He has something greater in store.
During these times when God is silent we are asked to trust in His timing. I know there have been many times in my life I have begrudgingly done so, leading to feelings of resentment towards God. “Doesn’t He know I need answers? That I need help? That I need to know what to do with my life and where I need to be?” His silence can be so frustrating, but then I remember the words of the Primary Children’s song, “I Will Follow God’s Plan”:
My life is a gift; my life has a plan.
My life has a purpose; in heav’n it began.
My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth
And seek for God’s light to direct me from birth.
I will follow God’s plan for me,
Holding fast to his word and his love.
I will work, and I will pray;
I will always walk in his way.
Then I will be happy on earth
And in my home above.
When I remember these truths, that my life does have a plan and it is His plan, then I can find peace and reassurance as I wait upon the Lord and trust in His timing. “Sometimes we need to ‘be still and know that [God is] God’ and trust in His timing.”
Taking time to be alone with myself and God through prayer and pondering allows me to “be still” and connects me with God. My connection with God reminds me of who He is, not just God, but my Heavenly Father who is omniscient. Remembering who He is, I feel assured that everything will work out, in His time, and in ways better than I could have ever imagined for myself.
As we move forward in faith and trust, we will be able to “faithfully activate heavenly power to receive specific blessings from God.” Through specific, righteous requests made through prayer blessings will come. First faith, then power and blessings come flowing in. Before they flow, I find they tend to be more of a trickle, but I know they do eventually flow.
4. BE CHEERFUL
Waiting upon the Lord and for the flow of blessings in our lives can lead to feelings of discouragement and depression, if we’re not careful. The Lord desires for us to live with joy. When it comes to waiting upon the Lord, we are expected to do so with a cheerful and grateful heart. Living with joy and gratitude has turned even the worst of circumstances into not only bearable, but light. Cheerfully trusting in the Lord, even when He’s silent, allows us to find joy in our journey and greater endurance through the hard times. And, when our trials finally begin to pass or at least fade, we can know that some of the greatest blessings the Lord has in store for us are reserved for later. Later may be in this life or the next, but they make all our hardships worthwhile.
If a desired blessing from God has not been received—yet—you do not need to go crazy, wondering what more you need to do. Instead, heed Joseph Smith’s counsel to “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power; and then … stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the … arm [of God] … revealed.” Some blessings are reserved for later, even for the most valiant of God’s children.
I’ve wondered if I am doing all I need to be and if it’s enough. The above quote teaches that each of us can find comfort that we are doing enough. If there is ever doubt in our minds as to whether or not we’re doing enough, we can engage in prayerful introspection and self-evaluation. We will know, and when we do, do it cheerfully and not begrudgingly. The Lord will compensate our lacking.
I have questioned why I have been denied certain blessings up to this point in my life, but I am reminded that the blessings He has in store for me are greater than anything I could possibly experience in this life. He offers me grace, growth, teaches me love, patience, and compassion. He gives me eternal life. What else could I possibly ask for? And so, this brings me to my fifth and final principle: One step at a time.
5. ONE STEP AT A TIME
When we try to do everything at once, we immediately become overwhelmed. We quickly wear thin and lack strength to move forward in necessary ways. That is when we pray for strength, to move one step at a time.
Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom;
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene—one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor pray’d that thou
Shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
Lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.
As we move forward one step at a time, we can live in the moment. A friend of mine once told me that if I were to know the future or have all the blessings I desire at this very moment, it would result in many missed opportunities. Having it all would keep me from living in the present. Instead, we must take each day one day at a time, sometimes even a moment at a time. Live in the moment. And, when God is silent remember: using active faith, wait upon the Lord as He sheds His light little by little, and see the purposes and blessings of God unfold clearer and greater than before.
Sources:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/41renlund?lang=eng
