1391) Recently I had to visit the dentist again to finish up work on a tooth because the infection in my mouth had to be cleared up first. The brave D.D.S. (and I use brave because he had to work on me) asked me on a scale of 1-10, where would I put my pain level? This made me think that the best doctors in the world, and my dentist would fit in this category, cannot measure pain in their patients. They may tell if someone is in great pain by how the patient acts or looks, but there are no instruments that can be hooked up to the suffering person, and an accurate reading is reported. We often hide the pain within.

When you are in pain, physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, it encompasses your being and does not always show up in ways others can see. David knew this when he wrote Psalm 40. In the first verse, David tells us he waited patiently for the Lord. The Hebrew word for patiently is qavah which can be translated twisted, stretched or enduring tension. This waiting is painful.

The pain this life brings can be intense, but I believe the pain of feeling God has abandoned you is brutal. The Bible tells us to call out to God and he will answer you and show you great and mighty things (Jeremiah 33:3) but after calling out and you hear nothing in return; it hurts deeply.

The good news is, David reveals to us in Psalm 40:1-2 that God hears our cries and lifts us out of the pit, mud and mire, and sets us on a rock; a firm place to stand. The hard news is, God’s timetable is not like ours, so it often feels God does not answer. Because we rarely hear a voice answering, we can assume God does not speak.

There is a glorious sound in silence because it is in these moments, our hearts can hear. Yes, the pain of waiting on God is real, but so is his still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-13).