Praise You Still: Finding Faith in the ValleySample

Day 2: Faith in the Silence

“Even when I can’t feel Your presence, I know You are with me.”

If you have been following Jesus for any amount of time, you understand there are times in our walk with God when we don’t feel His Presence the way we once did. The moments of spiritual highs seem distant, and we wonder if God is still near. It is in these times we can relate to the Psalmist and find solace that our experience of desolation is not unique. Walter Brueggemann famously categorizes the Psalms into three categories: Psalms of Orientation, Disorientation, and Reorientation. Here is a small selection from the almost 40% of prayers of Disorientation, or lament that make up the Psalms:

Psalm 13:1-2
"How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

Psalm 42:2-3
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’”

Psalm 88:13-14
"But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?”

In the face of such despair, we see these psalms of lament continue to depend on God to show up and be near. There is a powerful lesson we learn through the Psalms, which is God’s nearness is not dependent on our feelings—it is a Promise He has made to us.

Psalm 139:7-10 reminds us:
"Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me."

No matter where we are—on the mountain or in the valley, in joy or in sorrow—God is with us. Even when we don’t sense Him, His Presence remains unshaken. It is because of these Truths that we can confidently sing, “Even when I can’t feel Your Presence, I know You are with me”.

The second verse of Praise You Still continues, stating, “Even when Your voice becomes silent, I know You are listening”. Silence can feel like abandonment. When we pray and hear nothing in return, we may question if God is still paying attention. But God’s silence does not mean His absence. He listens, even when we cannot perceive His response.

Lamentations 3:25-26 encourages us:
"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Waiting on God in silence is an act of faith. He hears every cry, every whisper, every unspoken word. Even when His response is delayed, His Love and Faithfulness remain constant.

In Mark Batterson’s book Whisper, Batterson suggests that the key to overcoming feelings of distance from God is to embrace stillness and silence, allowing us to hear His “still small voice.” He states, “Silence is anything but passive waiting. Silence in God’s presence is proactive listening."

Could it be that we have allowed the noise and pace of this world to limit our ability to simply embrace the stillness and silence Batterson suggests? Perhaps by the time we can set aside some space to be with God, we lack the patience and practice to recognize when God is indeed speaking. Batterson says, “When someone speaks in a whisper, you have to get very close to hear and that is what God wants.” By reducing the noise in our lives and actively listening, we can draw closer to God and become more attuned to His Whispers, even when He seems distant.

When uncertainty and fear try to take hold, we must speak Truth to our souls. In Psalm 42:5, the psalmist does just that:

Psalm 42:5:
"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

Even in the darkest night, God’s Light still shines. No storm, no silence, no trial is beyond His Reach. He is working in the waiting, present in the quiet, and near even when we feel far. We are never alone. This Truth gives us the confidence to approach God in the way He desires, with all our heart, mind, and soul.

As you listen to “Praise You Still” by Sound Chapel, reflect on these questions:

• Have you ever experienced a season where you didn’t feel God’s Presence? How did He show you He was still with you?
• How can you remind your soul of God’s Faithfulness in moments of doubt?
• What Scripture can you hold onto in times when God seems silent?

Prayer:
Father, even when I cannot feel You, I trust that You are near. When Your Voice is quiet, help me to remember that You are still listening. Teach my soul to be still and know that You are God, and that no darkness is too great for Your Light. I put my hope in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.