The Silence of God: Sock It to Me!

By Gene Russell

Is it ever easy to be a Christian? God is so silent. His silence leads to suffering by the Christian and the world. Why, Lord, are you silent? But learning to pray "Lord, sock it to me" may lead to three marks on steel. The permanence of these thoughts changed the author's attitude and action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: Feb 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946801074

Gene Russell

I am qualified to write this book because living its content has been my story. The emphasis on the silence of God, "sock it to me" and "three marks on steel," are me. Those experiences alone would qualify me. However, having degrees from Baylor University (BA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Luther Rice Seminary (ThD) adds additional reasons. Having written and published other books-example, Let the Children Come In, used in seminary classes for years and numerous published articles. Working with people since youth has been the calling. Serving as pastor of numerous Baptist churches of all sizes in San Antonio, Dallas, Angleton, Houston and Nacogdoches have given me unusual exposure to their experiences, needs, and desires. Close to 6500 counseling sessions have resulted through the years with people from throughout the world. These sessions lasted twenty to forty minutes to an hour to two-four years in some cases. Being a part of the business world, Chairman of Planning and Economic in SW Houston , Rotary (thirty-one years perfect attendance), Lions Club, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts district, regional and national, denominational and board of trustees/regents of several higher educational institutions have made me more knowledgeable. Being born in South Texas, living here most of life has given me a desire to travel. Thus, traveling throughout the world resulted in many mission, evangelistic and pleasure trips. These have greatly added to a greater understanding of the world and its people. Being disciplined to study and reading four hours daily have been a tremendous asset. The joy of being a father, husband, grandfather, and great grandfather have been quite meaningful.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Dr. Gene Russell

HARDBACK ISBN:    978-1-946801-04-3

PAPERBACK ISBN:   978-1-946801-03-6

E-BOOK ISBN:           978-1-946801-07-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Holman Christian Standard Bible. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2003. Print.

Ordering Information:

For orders and inquiries, please contact:

www.toplinkpublishing.com

[e-mail]

Printed in the United States of America

FOREWORD

There are many issues in life with which all of us struggle. Every day we encounter things that cause us to question God’s existence or His ability to solve our problems. We toil in search for answers as to why God remains so silent when we are so desperate to hear His voice. But it seems to never come. Is God deaf that He cannot hear? Does He care?

Like a modern day Job, Gene Russell admits that he too struggles with the question of God’s silence. Writing from the personal experiences of others as well as drawing from the well of his own real life encounters, this book is like an intriguing suspense novel begging the reader to quickly turn to the next page to see if there is an answer as to why God seems to be so silent.

Maybe it’s not God who is silent. Perhaps we are like a television set, we need to be turned on and tuned in to receive the message God is speaking. After all, hasn’t the Lord said, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says… (Revelation 2:7a)

It is an honor for me to write this forward for my friend, Gene Russell. I first met Gene and his wife, Margaret, when they moved to Nacogdoches from Houston and joined our church. Gene has been a true friend. He has been an author, pastor, counselor, husband, father and grandfather. I also know him to be devoted to the Lord. Gene is most effective in helping us find answers to why God seems to be silent when we need desperately to hear from Him. You’ll understand why he asks God to Sock It To Me!

Dr. Allen Reed

Pastor’s Office

First Baptist Church

Nacogdoches, Texas

The titles of Dr. Allen Reed’s three books are:

Reed All About! Daily News From the Good News

If I’d Known You Were Coming, I Would Have Dusted Your Pew!

Feeding the Lord’s Flock

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HOW I GOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT SILENCE OF GOD

WHAT I WISH TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS WRITING

PART I

BASIC QUESTIONS IN UNDERSTANDING THE SILENCE OF GOD

CHAPTER I. ARE THERE TIMES WHEN GOD IS SILENT?

CHAPTER II. IS THERE REALLY A GOD? WHO IS HE?

CHAPTER III. WHAT WOULD CAUSE YOU TO BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD? WHY NOT BELIEVE IN HIM?

CHAPTER IV. WHAT DOES THE SILENCE OF GOD MEAN? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME?

CHAPTER V. WHAT DO MARKS ON STEEL HAVE TO DO WITH THE SILENCE OF GOD?

CHAPTER VI. WHY IS GOD OFTEN SILENT?

CHAPTER VII. DOES GOD’S SILENCE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EVIL?

CHAPTER VIII. ASSUMING THERE IS A GOD, IS HE PERSONAL? WHY WOULD I NEED A PERSONAL GOD? SINCE HE IS PERSONAL, DOES HE GOVERN ONLY WHEN A DRASTIC NEED PRESENTS ITSELF, THAT IS, HE MERELY OBSERVES FROM A DISTANCE?

PART II

PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SILENCE OF GOD

CHAPTER IX. WILL GOD BE SILENT IN MY LIFE TOO? WHERE AM I WHEN HE IS SILENT?

CHAPTER X. WHERE IS GOD WHEN HE IS SILENT?

PART III

THERE ARE PRESSING QUESTIONS IN UNDERSTANDING WHO I AM

CHAPTER XI. WHEN GOD IS NOT SPEAKING TO ME AUDIBLY, HOW DOES HE SPEAK?

CHAPTER XII. WHAT BASIC THOUGHTS DO I NEED TO REMEMBER ABOUT GOD’S SILENCE?

CHAPTER XIII. WHAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF THE GOD WHO IS OFTEN SILENT?

CHAPTER XIV. HOW CAN I BEGIN A LIFE WITH THIS GOD WHO IS SILENT?

CHAPTER XV. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TELL GOD SOCK IT TO ME?

CHAPTER XVI. HOW DO THE SILENCE OF GOD AND MARKS ON STEEL CORRELATE?

PART IV

AN EVEN MORE PERSONAL QUESTION

CHAPTER XVII. AGAIN, WILL GOD CONTINUE TO BE SILENT IN MY LIFE?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ENDNOTES

To my wife, Margaret—sweet, loving, supportive, loyal, beautiful, and understanding

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Each of these people, directly or indirectly, played a role in the writing of this book. Of course, my wife, Margaret, had a definite part in the composition. Time that was meant to be ours was sacrificed so the writing could be accomplished. Chuck Russell, Candace Russell Boothby, Beverly Russell, Clara Wolf, Ann Phinney (my secretary for almost seventeen years), Dr. Kyle M. Yates, Dr. Bernard Ramm, Dr. Robert G. Witty (my personal mentor for five years in doctoral work), Dr. Roy Fish, Bert Katzen, Dr. Perry F. Webb, Professor Guy B. Harrison, Dr. W. R. White, and many friends and counselees—to all I have gained much. To all the churches I have pastored in Texas and North Carolina, I say thank you for allowing me to be your pastor and to draw upon the many experiences derived from our associations, especially the last few years at Lilly Grove Baptist Church.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gene Russell is a product of South Texas and graduate of several educational and graduate institutions. He is an author, a pastor, a husband, a father, and a grandfather and has been a member of numerous organizations, such as Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts (local and national), and United Way. He has been a trustee/regent of several graduate educational institutions and denominational services.

HOW I GOT INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT SILENCE OF GOD

Why is God so cruel? Why is heaven so silent? Why doesn’t he eliminate the worst forms of evil and suffering? An example is seeing children in Sudan forced to hack their parents to death with machetes. Is God really there? Or is he just an illusion? Is he an absentee god or merely silent on many occasions? These thoughts were found in the middle of a paragraph of the book titled The Silence of God. It was written by Sir Robert Anderson, who served as chief of the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard for many years. I read this book for the first time as a young minister.

If God really does care, why has he allowed millions on earth to suffer, starve, and be victims to the ugliness and devastation of nature? Why has he often been silent to man for thousands of years?

A silent heaven is the greatest mystery of our existence. What mind is competent to grasp the sum of all this world’s misery, heaped up day after day, year after year, century after century? Human hearts may plan, and human hands achieve, some little to alleviate it, and the strong and ready arm of human law may accomplish much in the protection of the weak and the punishment of the wicked. But in vain do we strain our ears to hear some voice SILENT … And this is a world ruled and governed by God who is Almighty … Why is God so cruel? Why is heaven so terribly silent? There are times, as one Christian writer puts it, when the heaven that is over our heads seems to be brass, and the earth that is under us to be iron, and we feel our hearts sink within us.¹

Through many years, I have counseled about six thousand five hundred people. There were many locations—my office, my study, public places such as restaurants, hotel and motel lobbies, homes, trips to selected picnic areas—wherever it might be in public. Of course, e-mails, letters, phones, texts, Facebook, and other means of communication have been used. It was their pain, suffering, humiliation, embarrassment, and bad choices that made the subject on the silence of God real. Though other books with similar thoughts had been written, this one was to be written by me. My understanding of people, many varied experiences, and their need for understanding God’s role prevailed in those moments of crushing defeat. The sharing of life’s experiences, both mine and others, was to be written. It was what I was supposed to do. The thought of writing such a book never left my mind over many adult years.

Then, of course, my personal life was taken into consideration. Often, God did not seem to be making any visible noises during crises and problems when he was needed. There was a period when I felt burnout in its most severe expression. My mind and body felt like that of a zombie. I preached and acted like a zombie. Knowing the church that I pastored (the second time to be with them) loved and respected me too much to suggest moving or taking a sabbatical, I resigned and spent many years working with some of the finest insurance companies in the nation, as well as working as an independent agent out of my house. Often, I was asked to supply the pulpit in friends’ churches. The few times attempted were mechanical. It was easy to preach; but there was no emotion, passion, or energy exerted. Those seven years away from the pulpit were helpful but were not me. God was always there, but he didn’t seem present. It was as though he had folded up his arms and, for a period, just watched and took in my response to the entire situation. Though my training in insurance was extremely profitable, it was also intense and demanding. I worked hard in learning and selling insurance to professionals and later added the marketplace. However, in the minimal church work attempted, especially the preaching, it was blurred, passionless, and without enthusiasm. I could not remember Bible verses in daily study. It was difficult to read a devotional passage one day and remember the next day what had been studied. I would attempt to sing hymns in church, but the sounds would not come out. I tried melody, bass, and tenor. None worked. This was during my late fifties. Imagine that!

God, give me some indication you are there. It isn’t real life being two people. I’m really hurting. Numerous occasions through the years have forced me to hurt, be embarrassed, and humiliated; but this is the worst of all. This is only one example of many that were presented at that time. I will write of the triumphant outcome later in this book. How it came to be was positive. Part 1, chapter 5 discusses the marks on steel that resulted. The lessons made real and permanent are described in detail. They are a constant reminder to me always. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t remember and relive those impressions.

You too have undergone events in life where disturbance and confusion seem to dominate your whole being. Your situations have been different from mine. But the underlying principle is the same. We hurt—really hurt, and God appears to be absent. It is as though the heavens have become brass and our prayers like wood. Why, O God, won’t you allow me to be one person, not two or even three?

Being a Christian, and an ordained minister (pastor), most of my adult life had been spent in understanding God—who he was and is, how he acts with people, and his plan for people’s lives and nations. What repentance, faith, and the new birth mean. However, understanding people had become the second biggest part of my living, training, and serving.

There are five words, as well as one phrase and a statement of understanding, to define before attempting to read the entire book.

First, who is God? How do you define God? Not just in a scholarly manner but in simple terms for the average person (if that is possible). It is impossible to understand God completely. Only an attempt can be made. The dictionary defines him as the Supreme Being, one who has the attributes of the Supreme Being and one with supreme powers.² The Bible shares various meanings of God through Hebrew words translated into English. These will be mentioned in detail in part 1, chapter 2 titled "IS THERE REALLY A GOD?"

The second word to be defined is personal. The dictionary states that it relates to a particular person, done in person.³ In this writing, it relates to the one writing this book and the person reading this book.

The third word to be defined is silence. The dictionary states it is a state of being without sound, the state of being kept from making noise or sound.⁴ Thus, the state of silence is evidenced when God cannot be heard, either audible or through his prophets.

The word people refers to God’s creation, those created in his image. That is, those who have descended from Adam and Eve. They are human beings, making up a group or linked by a common characteristic or interest.

Defining the word needs is also necessary. The dictionary defines it as obligations, lack of something or what is lacking, poverty, to be in want, have cause for, or to be under obligation. Life’s necessities, life’s wants, and life’s desires—things that are beyond a personal reach. Need means grasping for something that only God can give.⁵ The statement "Sock it to me" precedes the phrase in the next paragraph. When would a Christian come to the place in praying these words to God?

The phrase marks on steel forms a major thought in this book. What are "marks on steel? How do marks on steel" relate to the silence of God?

The statement "Sock it to me" connects with the previous phrase "marks on steel."

WHAT I WISH TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS WRITING

This book is about 145 pages long. Simple words are used. It would be written to the average person with fourth- to ninth-grade reading (where the average American is in reading and comprehension) and learning ability. I must attempt to speak their language. As they get caught up in the thoughts, it should be as though the reader’s language has not been contemplated. No doubt faith will be at odds with reason. Exceptional illustrations are to be used. Most of these would retell the stories of people counseled with and are now deceased. The book would be warm and personal in its writing. Definitely it would be from a Christian perspective. However, the person who is not a born-again believer would benefit from it. In fact, it could be life-transforming for that individual. Certainly, the thoughts presented are not original. Hopefully, in some cases they are creative. I am not interested in a scholarly work, though capable of doing so. Neither am I interested in huge financial benefits unless student scholarships, mission endeavors, or endowments for Christian work were involved. The purpose is to help clarify for Christians and non-Christians in brief form why God is often silent on many occasions. This is to be done through the story of the author’s encounters with life, himself, and his Savior Jesus Christ. When people cry out for help, with no visible response from him, how can they relate to these difficult times? What is involved in the responses? What about "sock it to me"? What are the "three marks on steel"? How life changing can these thoughts followed by action be?

What makes this book different from other books written on the silence of God? It is about me. My experience and learning. It is about others whom I counseled and worked with, those who lived in the desperation of God’s silence.