To Us a Son Is GivenParaugs

Our Doubt and God’s Faithfulness

Have you ever prayed for something for a long time, possibly even years, only to be surprised when the prayer was answered? Maybe the answer didn’t come in the way you expected, or perhaps it didn’t come as quickly as you had hoped, but for whatever reason, God’s answer left you scratching your head.

When Zechariah received the news that his wife would bear a son in her old age, the son for whom the couple had prayed for years, he doubted God. Despite the fact that the news was delivered by an Angel from Heaven, Zechariah wanted further confirmation. He was slow to believe.

Before we look down our noses at Zechariah, we have to remember how slow we are to believe. We question God’s Word because it doesn’t fit our own expectations or the world’s wisdom. We trust in our own strength instead of the Power of the Gospel. How soon we forget that the God who speaks to us in His Word is Perfectly Wise and All-Powerful. Gratefully, He is also Merciful.

Zechariah’s punishment was, in a sense, fitting. Right as God was breaking His silence with Israel, He closed Zechariah’s mouth.

Simple Summary

When the Angel told Zechariah that his wife was going to have a child, Zechariah doubted God. God punished Zechariah by taking away his ability to speak. We are reminded that we should always believe God’s Word, even when it seems impossible. God gave Elizabeth a child, just as He had promised. He can do all things, and He is Faithful.

Pray

Ask God to strengthen your faith so that you might rely on His Faithfulness and rest in His Promises.