March 4

But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” — Matt 15:23 BSB

Who hasn’t come to Christ burdened, crying out for help or relief, only to feel like He is silent? We are told to ask, and we will receive; to seek, and we will find; to knock, and the door will be opened. Yet, there are times when we ask fervently, but it feels like we don’t receive. We seek with all our hearts but cannot seem to find. We knock until our hands are sore, and still, the door remains shut.

Sometimes, it feels like the heavens are made of brass, and we wonder, “Is there anyone hearing my cries? Is there a heart that feels what I’m going through?” God can seem so distant that it feels like our prayers don’t reach Him. This silence of God is one of the most painful experiences. Few prayers in the Bible are more desperate than the psalmist’s plea, “Don’t be silent to me, or I will become like those who go down into the pit!” Any answer from God, even punishment, is better than His silence.

Imagine how bleak the world would be if the atheist’s belief were true—that there is no God, no ear to hear prayer, no voice from heaven offering help, love, or comfort.