“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalm 42:11 (ESV)
As minutes turned to hours in the emergency room, I desperately desired to hear from God. With excruciating pain radiating from my neck down my arm, I prayed for relief and expected direction, encouragement, or any sign that I wasn’t as alone as I felt.
Instead, I was met with silence.
Confused about why God would choose now, of all times, not to respond, I began to wonder if He was with me at all. The thought of rejection and abandonment pierced deeper than any physical wound.
What do we do when our desperate prayers are met with silence? Do we conclude God didn’t hear us? Do we think He’s not there or, worse, He doesn’t care?
The writer of Psalm 42 knew this same feeling. Yet instead of receiving God's silence as rejection, the writer continued to trust God and praise Him:
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
From this psalm, we learn three important steps we can take when God seems silent.
Keep seeking God.
When we feel someone is ignoring us, our natural reaction is to draw away. Yet the psalmist continued calling on God, thirsting for Him “as a deer pants for flowing streams” (Psalm 42:1, ESV). Don’t give up on seeking God, even when He feels distant — because He is the only One who can satisfy our souls.
Remember God’s past faithfulness.
Psalm 42:4 reveals the key to seeking God in His silence: “Remember” (ESV). The psalmist remembered praising God in the past. For us, too, God may seem quiet now, but remembering the times He’s spoken and moved in our lives encourages our souls that He’s still working.
Hope in God.
Despite his feelings and circumstances, the psalmist told his soul what to do: “Hope in God …” (Psalm 42:11b). God never fails to act on behalf of His children. Even when He gets uncomfortably quiet, we have hope that anchors us until we hear from Him again.
A hospital waiting room was the last place I expected God’s silence. But although I didn’t understand His silence, I trusted His character. He has a proven track record of rescuing me no matter what.
I may not have heard from God as I expected, but I can see now that He was with me — leading me to the doctors I needed and providing the care only He could provide. The fact that I made it through is proof that God never once left me.
Though God is sometimes silent, He is never absent.
Father, thank You for never leaving me and for walking with me through everything. When You’re quiet, help me remember that You are never far away. I place my hope in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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For help overcoming the distraction of worry, download Christina’s free video Bible study, Worry-Free, to learn the three lies feeding your worry and discover the truth to set you free.
Psalm 18:6, “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (ESV).
Psalm 62:5, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” (ESV).
What can you remember about God to encourage your soul to hope in Him when He seems silent? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2025 by Christina Patterson. All rights reserved.
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