To many of us who regularly pray and talk to God, we know that God indeed listens and in fact talks to us, too, especially with regards to the matters we prayed for. We may have different persuasions as to who God is and what he requires of us, but most of the world’s people believe there is God, and the bigger majority believe in Jesus of Nazareth. God answers prayers but many of us also experience at one time or another that God sometimes keeps silent.
We know that God always answers prayers, whether it’s a yes, a no, for us to wait, or to show us there is something better. But there are times when he is silent, in accordance with his will, and leaves us wondering what’s happening. We read in the Bible that God spoke to his prophets in the earliest times and even led his people Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. But then, he became silent, and we read in 1 Samuel 3:1 that “The word of the Lord was rare in those days.” Probably, it was because “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” in the Book of Judges, after the time Moses and Joshua died.
But God will always hear, and also speak to us, when we sincerely need him and ask from him from the heart. Thus, when a certain barren woman asked him for a son, God readily answered yes and gave her a wonderful son. So great was Hannah’s gratitude that he named the boy “Sh’ma Elohim” in Hebrew, which means “God hears!” He grew up and became the prophet Samuel (his name in English) to whom we attribute two books of the Bible under his authorship.
Not only does God hear but he speaks. He spoke to the men of old in biblical times and speaks to us today in response to the spoken words we say to him in prayer. Of course, the talks we have with him are borne out of a relationship … between God and man, a heavenly Father and child, a Savior, and a sinner. No one can hear from God unless God intends us to hear first, and alas, indeed, there are and will be times God will seem so silent. But it doesn’t mean he did not hear us. For indeed, we might just look at the circumstances of our walk with him to see if we are right with him. God tells us, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35).
God will always remain who he is --loving, merciful, holy, and just. He listens to us and speaks to us. We just need to incline our ears and hearts to him, to hear and understand what he is saying. He wants to talk to us even more than we may want to talk to him.
An advance special heartfelt 14th birthday greeting to my son, Samuel Ken Villarete, on Thursday, April 20. May you always remember, through your name, that God always hears you whenever you call on him. May God bless you always.