Poor
Zechariah. He and his wife Elizabeth had faithfully served God their whole
lives and wanted nothing more than to bear and raise a child. Yet, in spite of
their constant prayers and good living, no child ever came. Then one special
and strange day, perhaps the only day of his life Zechariah was allowed to
offer incense in the temple, he was visited by an angel with the promise of
having a son.
I
really identify with Zechariah. Can any of us blame him for his doubt after so
many years of disappointment? Yet, he was rebuked by the angel Gabriel: “And
behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things
take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in
their proper time.” (vs 20) He should have believed. He was in the temple – the
very presence of God. He had been praying, and God answers persistent prayer
(See Luke 18:1-7). He was even given the promise by an angel, but Zechariah’s
disappointment had weakened his faith. All the years of counting on an
immediate answer to his prayers blinded him to the real answer.
How
do you think he felt about that rebuke? I know I would have felt guilty. I
failed to trust and believe when it really mattered. My doubt in God would have
shifted to doubt in my own qualification to receive anything from God. I would
have believed that I missed my chance, but notice that Zechariah’s doubt does
not disqualify him from God’s promise. Notice also that even the disciplinary
punishment became a faith building sign. Zechariah was not able to speak. That
was a sign to him, Elizabeth, and everyone else that an all-powerful God was at
work in his life. If God could keep him from speaking, he could enable them to
bear a child.
You
may be dealing with doubt and disappointment in your own life. If so, you may
identify with Zechariah, too. Trust in God. He is faithful. When those times
comes that your faith fails, just remember your doubt does not disqualify you
from receiving His promise.
No comments:
Post a Comment