The Old Testament ends with two commands from the prophet Malachi. He tells God’s people to remember: Remember that God has done great things for you. Then he tells them to believe: Believe God’s not through doing great things for you.
Remember. Moses, manna, water gushing from a rock, the Law written down by the finger of God on a mountaintop. Remember.
Believe. Believe that no matter how much darkness comes your way God will not abandon you, forget you. He will rescue. Believe.
Then the prophet put down his pen and for the next 400 years the Israelites changed hands from empire to empire. Syrians. Persians. Greeks. Romans.
400 years. Some have called them the “darkest” in Jewish history.
Why? The Jews had known this kind of poverty, persecution and powerlessness before.
Why were these years the darkest?
Because God was the quietest.
For 400 years not a syllable was spoken by God to his suffering children. No prophets. No miracles.
Nothing but darkness.
And waiting, remembering, believing.
Then, one night, an angel appeared to shepherds watching their flocks. And light shone all around them. And Heaven sent a message to earth.
Before songs of joy there were cries of sorrow. Before peace on earth there was conflict. Before healing came hurt. Before the Light of the World there was darkness. Before the Word became flesh God was silent.
Wait. Remember all the great things God has done in your life. Believe that He’s not through doing them.
Wait. Your star will come.
AeS says:
Thank you, Shaun, for sharing such a significant reminder. He may be silent sometimes but He never ceases to be God.
Kevin Riner says:
400 years, longer than America has existed as a nation! Man such a long time! Probably what smacked me the hardest in this message was “Then the prophet put down his pen and for the next 400 hundred years the Israelites changed hands from empire to empire. Syrians. Persians. Greeks. Romans.”
I can see the prophet laying his pencil down after the last mark on his paper, closing the book (or rolling the scroll up) stands up and tightens his belt around his waist,blows out the candle, walks over to the entrance, opens the door where the sunlight pours in and walks out knowing from this moment, the next 400 years will be a silent God, and hell on Earth! Touching!!!!
Patricia Jones says:
Thanks Shaun, that was a great post. I’ve got some kids to pass this one on to!
Jill Foley says:
Thank you for this message
Princess Leia says:
What a beautiful perspective! Thank you for sharing it!
Marla Taviano says:
Okay, this is stinkin’ awesome. And EXACTLY what I needed to hear today. Bless you!
Holly @ Crownlaiddown says:
Wonderful Words of LIFE, that.
[email protected] says:
What an awesome post. Remember and Believe. Two very important word. Words that should be part of every Christians faith. Thank you for sharing.
Jason says:
It amazes me how easily you can give me a swift kick to the spiritual teeth. A star would be a nice present this year. ๐
Nikki B. says:
Thank you for sharing, Shaun. I’ve been waiting for a star for a lil over 2 years now.
I don’t know where this verse is in the Bible, because I accidently cut it off when I was getting it ready to be tacked to my cork board, but this verse has helped me in the darkness:
“Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.”
This verse has helped me while I’ve been waiting. ๐
Cara says:
Interesting. God has been silent with me for what feels like 400 years. It’s strange, because I can encourage other people to remember, keep faith and believe yet in my own heart I forget, despair and doubt.
I am sure glad God set the standard of required faith at “mustard seed” size, because I remind myself I can usually pull off at least that much. ๐
owlhaven says:
Thanks for this, Shaun!!
Mary
Joyce says:
This was absolutely beautifully said…Believe…a word that goes with Christmas…I loved the gentle encouragement in this post today.
I’ve linked to your post in my own blog this morning. Thanks for this reminder today.
The Lumberjack's Wife says:
Well said. Thanks!
sheryl says:
amazing! absolutely amazing!
can you even imagine nothing but silence from the Lord for 400 years? i had forgotten that the next time they heard from God was when He sent His Son!! how incredible.
thank you for this.
Jenny says:
I’m still thinking about this post today after reading it yesterday. I’m just in awe of how God works. Linked to this on my blog.
rhonda says:
Thank you. Encouragement I needed today.
Carrie says:
This post was perfect for me today – My baby girl is 2 days overdue with no end in sight…I know it’s a silly little thing, but I’ve been discouraged in the waiting – thank you for this reminder.
Bethany says:
I love how you start reading a post on a blog and you’re like: “hm, I wonder where they’re taking this” and then you get to the end of the post and you’re like: “sweet, I really like where they took that”. ๐
E-Jayjo says:
I needed to hear this today. Thanks.
Vicky says:
Thank you.
This has been a year of “waiting” for me. God has taught me so much, and yet as I hit the one year mark, I find myself restless and ready to be done with the waiting. Suddenly one measly year doesn’t seem so long.
I linked to your post… hope you don’t mind.
Peter P says:
I wrote about the waiting last week….
but you did a MUCH better job of it than me!
Awesome post!
brooke says:
Waiting. So pregnant with hope. I think that’s how we are to wait … in hope. The Israelites were supposed to wait hopefully for their Savior. The Advent. They nearly all waited their lifetime for the fulfillment.
And we honor that wait and we have our very own wait. This world is not our home or resting place. We wait not for a new dishwasher, or a better job, or for the children to turn out well, … even though those things matter to God (whether or not he fulfills them in the way we want). We wait for his return or until he calls us home.
Thanks for making me think more about that today.
Lisa H says:
Wow. Amazing. And now God’s children have the privilege of shining like stars on a dark world. So many still have not heard the Good News.
Thank you for this reminder of hope!
Lauryn Abbott says:
Powerful message! What wonderful words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing. I needed this this morning. Blessings!
gretchen says:
Nice to meet you, Shaun. I’m here via Marla’s blog. And I guess all I can say is…wow.
JessicaBowman says:
I swear, my husband and I are professional waiters. (…The kind that don’t get tips). We’ve always moved a lot, and are always waiting for our next opportunity.
Sigh. We’re currently waiting for an overseas ministry position. And have been relatively content, keeping a very temporary mindset of our here and now.
…but. Have just been told our wait will be extended. Up to 2 years. Did I mention we’re already unemployed, and have been putting all of our eggs into one ministry basket?
Yeah.
And live in a spiritual wasteland, also known as the Bible Belt.
Double Sigh.
I don’t mind waiting, I guess I’ve just come accustomed to waiting in a more…edifying environment.
Triple Sigh.
I know, I know. God has a purpose, God is shaping us, God has a plan.
I just wish I could flash forward and get a couple years worth of hindsight perspective on this one.
Oh well. Faith. Trust. Believe. I get it.