Unbelief

“Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years’…The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you…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 1:18, 20

Is this not typical of human nature? Zechariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s parents) had most likely prayed their entire adult life for a son to no avail. Then, when a messenger of God, His mouthpiece, showed up face to face predicting John’s birth unbelief hung in the air like stale smoke.

Don’t I know this scene? When my daughter was on her self-destructive journey of substance abuse it was eight years before turning back to the face of God and claiming her rightful spot as His child. The prayers had risen hourly with hope and commitment for many years leading up to that, but hope without faith is merely a wish. My faith had diminished along the way and much like our dear priest, Zechariah my belief was lacking. My grandmother, a mighty messenger of God on earth, kept reassuring me that because she had been raised with God she would be saved by God. I became as mute as Zechariah did and didn’t have a testimony and my songs for God were quiet. It wasn’t until ‘the proper time’ of God’s choosing that Kristen was delivered and divine purposes were fulfilled.

I had to see the ‘baby born’ to believe my answered prayer. My commentary states, ‘Because Zechariah had doubted, he would lose the power of speech until the child was born. Unbelief seals the lips, and they remain sealed until faith returns and bursts forth in praise in worship.” p. 1370-1371. My grandmother had it right all along with her prayers of expectancy which is why she wasn’t surprised at 100 to have her book published as God had promised 20 years previously.

Our prayers do not have expiration dates…just ask Zechariah and Elizabeth!