Luke 1:5-25
Zechariah and Elizabeth were old, and Elizabeth's womb had always been barren. An angel dropped in on Z during work, Z was startled, but the angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard."
Sometimes--no, a lot of the times--these are the exact words our souls long to hear.
1. Don't be afraid.
2. Your prayer has been heard.
Z and his wife had probably been praying for kids since they were young and first married. Decades later, it obviously seemed too much to believe that God was finally delivering what they had asked for, because Zechariah said, "How can I be sure of this?" His disbelief earned him mutedness until the birth of his son.
What is the cost of our disbelief? What price do we pay when we don't believe our best friend? Not believing your best friend naturally erodes your friendship. Trust shrivels up and dies. You stop talking and seeing your friend as much. And of course, your best friend's feelings are hurt!
I don't think our friendship with God is so much different from the earthly friendships we're familiar with. God has made Himself vulnerable to us from the get-go--that's why He gave us the choice to want Him or not. Every good friend has to do that--no good friend is controlling.
I don't think God is controlling at all. I think we have a greater tendency towards demanding control. If God demanded control of us, He'd just take it. He doesn't want to control us--he just wants our friendship.
- - -
Though Zechariah's disbelief did leave him disabled, it couldn't do away with the gift God intended to give him. Elizabeth became pregnant, exactly at the "proper time."1
A lot of time God's timing seems whack to us. I think that's because the things He does affect so delicate a tapestry. Had Zechariah and Elizabeth been given another child earlier, the wonder of Elizabeth's first pregnancy at so late an age would not have been as great. Had John been born at an earlier or later time, he would not have been who he was when He met Jesus in a river--he would have been an older or a younger John, not John the Baptist of Jesus John.
Basically, your best friend is a good guy and he's really not trying to be mean with late gifts. Just trust Him.
Lord, give us grace in place of judgment, humility in place of pride, wisdom in place of foolishness, and truth in place of lies.
1. Luke 1:20
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Maybe the people outside the temple were wondering what "incense" Zacharias was burning! He goes in then comes out a while later not able to speak.
But here goes God again appearing to someone in an awesome way to give them some unbelievable news. I wonder what an angel looks like. I know they can take different appearances, but this angel scared Z.
First off, Z is scared. Then the angel tells him that his barren wife is going to have a son. That right there is enough to make him doubt (which he does). But then the angel describes the son he will have. This son will go prepare the way of the Lord! This echoes Isaiah 40:3-5. What awesome scripture there! Being a priest, Z must have at least heard this passage before. And now his son is supposed to be the guy who does this!?!?
God does amazing things like this throughout scripture, but I've never seen him shut somebody up because of their unbelief. That's what He does to Z. I wish He would do that to some of my students who doubt him every day. That would be nice.
But God shuts Z up; he can't speak. He's silent for about 9 months, I guess, until the birth of this boy happens.
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How often do we doubt God? I remember specific times that I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. I remember financial situations where I wasn't sure what to do next. I remember worrying for hours one day because of an extremely high heat bill that I didn't know how we would pay. But we did, and we made it just fine.
I remember moving to the Baltimore area, wondering if we were going to be able to survive, and we are. I remember going through a period of time where we were ready to sell the house we had just bought to try to be better off financially. But God provides!!! I've never been left stranded, yet I think there are times that it is more natural for me to doubt God and say, like Z, "How shall I know this?"
It's more natural maybe to worry and wonder how God is going to do his thing in my life. Or I can just learn to go to Him first and lose the risk of high blood pressure or an ulcer.
May I never doubt your power, oh God, and may I learn to rely solely on your provision and grace.
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