Don't Say God is Silent When Your Bible Remains Shut

“Don’t say God is silent while your Bible remains shut.”

I don’t know who it was to say it first, but the statement resonates with me. Those ten candid words give a stern talking-to the idea that God is aloof and blind to the brokenness and messiness of life, and remind me that He does indeed care, He most certainly sees, and He speaks with absolute authority. But, too often, the problem is that I am just not listening.

God is ever ready to speak truth into our lives. We just need to listen, attuning our ears and hearts to what He is saying in the book He Himself inspired. When we crack open the Bible, we find nearly a million words breathed out by God for His glory and for our advantage.

No one ever becomes so sophisticated, so well-informed that the wisdom contained in the Scriptures is beneath them. God’s Word actually widens and deepens as time marches on, yes, even in the technologically advanced era of AI. It has been my experience that the Bible has a particular knack for speaking precisely the right word, at precisely the right moment. I have found God’s Word continues to be absolutely accurate on every occasion, and, at the same time, capable of speaking in new ways, even though I have read a particular passage on numerous occasions.

The Bible is not merely a book that once spoke in ancient days to its original hearers, but a book that continues to speak fittingly, thoroughly, and truthfully today. God is speaking today, and every day, through His creation, through people, places, and things, but most assuredly through His Word. God’s Word is not simply an antiquated, once-spoken word. God’s Word is perpetually “now-speaking.”

We effectively mute the sound of God’s voice in our lives when we leave our Bible unopened on the table, nightstand, or electronic device. So, getting cantankerous with God being silent when your Bible is shut is like getting crabby over not getting text messages or social media posts when your phone is set on the “Do Not Disturb!” setting.

The Bible is the most amazing amalgamation of words the world has ever, or will ever see. There is nothing like it in the history of literature. Anyone who does not recognize this truth is woefully uninformed. The story of how the Scriptures have come to us today is astonishing:

The Scriptures have verified time and time again the historical record in archeological discovery. Much real-world evidence has been dug up from the past that lends credence to the veracity of God’s Word.

Many have labored extensively to bring the Scriptures to new people groups, and new languages have done so at great personal cost, from Jesus’ own commissioned Apostles to the twenty-first-century endeavors of groups like Good News Production International. Their sacrificial service speaks volumes about the Word’s dependability.

The Scriptures have shaped and influenced people in every era and epoch in history. The Bible has rescued, recreated, and propelled myriads of us in innumerable ways. God brings us His beauty, His power, and His glory in this collection of books, this library we call the Bible.

There is a bounty of blessings and wisdom God wishes to give us that only come to us through His Word. Consequently, He has provided the means for its procurement in Psalm 1, and I think it is a wise investment of our time to make these words a pillar for our lives.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3, ESV)

There are two obvious invitations in this passage: One, walk away from sin and sinful advice, and two, walk toward the Word of God. We have before us the opportunity to select the Scriptures as our delight and our recurrent meditation over every other available option.

God is always speaking to us through His Word. But the Word is clear, we need ears to hear him. God pleads for us to clear the auditory dribble that frustrates our ability to truly hear God speak, and have “ears to hear” some sixty-plus times throughout the Bible. Luke characterizes what this looks like in Jesus’ story of the sower and the seed by saying, “As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15, ESV)

What we need, more than anything else, is the Word of Christ dwelling in us richly (“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16, ESV).

We urgently need to hear God speaking to us through His Word, while simultaneously holding fast to what it says with an honest and good heart. As we listen intently and strive to implement what we see and hear, God will provide enough grace and hope to trust Him in our circumstances, however hard or unclear.

As far and removed as God may sometimes seem, He is not silent, and “he is not far from each one of us” (See: Acts 17:27). God is perpetually active and speaking, even in the chaos, confusion, and pandemonium of our pseudo-sophisticated 21st century.

But the question remains: Are we willing to crack open our Bibles and listen to Him?