Take Him at His Word
Zechariah, the priest, received a promise from God. The angel, Gabriel, appeared,and said to him, “‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John’” (Luke 1:13). This was an incredible promise for Zechariah and Elizabeth. She was barren, and they were “well along in years” (Luke 1:7). The angel of the Lord told Zechariah many things about his son, including his special mission and purpose for the kingdom of God, “‘Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God’” (Luke 1:16). John was the one written about by the prophet Isaiah, the one who would prepare the way for the Lord. “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3).
Despite the promise given to him, Zechariah saw his limited circumstances, and he questioned the angel of the Lord saying, “‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years’” (Luke 1:18). You see, Zechariah had prayed for a child. This baby was an answer to prayer, yet he struggled to believe this could happen because of his circumstances. Maybe Zechariah asked the Lord for a child long before he felt “too old”. Perhaps he didn’t expect the Lord to answer his prayer in His perfect timing instead of Zechariah’s. Whatever the reason may be, Zechariah struggled to believe the promise of the Lord.
His unbelief came with consequences. The angel of the Lord said to him, “‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time’” (Luke 1:19-20).
Because of this unbelief, his mouth was closed, and he was unable to speak until the child arrived as promised, at the proper time. When Zechariah wrote on a tablet that his name would be John, his mouth was opened, his tongue loosed and he began to praise God.
When we focus on our circumstances instead of God’s power, as Zechariah did, we become short-sighted. This short-sightedness can cause us to doubt. God’s power is not limited by what we have, or even what we can understand. Our faith can easily diminish when we focus on our limited circumstances instead of His great power.
When Zechariah asked the angel “how”, it revealed his doubt. His silence came as a result of his unbelief. May we, instead, wait with expectant silence before the Lord to see how He will care for us, meet our needs, and be faithful to all of His promises. Zechariah’s unbelief teaches us to trust the power and might and promises of God, instead of asking, “How can I know for sure?”
The angel, Gabriel, said of Elizabeth who was said to be barren, but was having a child in her old age, “‘…nothing is impossible with God’” (Luke 1:37). That promise reminds us there is nothing God cannot do. Silencing our doubt and taking Him at His word allows us a front row seat to His power and His faithfulness. When we trust God beyond our circumstances, our faith grows. If we trust the Lord with the “how” of every situation, He will always prove faithful.
-Jennifer
