A Monumental Moment
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen … to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense … Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him … and … said to him Luke 1:8,9,11,12
After 400 silent years, God speaks. Luke doesn’t just say that. He explains who God spoke to, what He said, how He said it and through whom He said it. This is a monumental moment. God is about to fulfil the most extraordinary phase of His plan to bring blessing to the nations of the earth.
But the plan has a hiccough right at the start. Zachariah’s reaction is not one of faith-filled expectancy. He questions “How can I be sure of this?” (Luke 1:18). He wants proof. He can’t just accept it by faith.
Have you done that? Have you recoiled in unbelief instead of embracing in faith what God was doing or saying? If you’ve done that, has it left you thinking your time is passed? You blew it.
But notice that Zechariah’s unbelief doesn’t thwart God’s purposes. Zachariah was disciplined. He was unable to speak until the promise was fulfilled. Obviously there’s a lesson here for all of us to learn, but there is no momentary halt. God’s plan (first spoken through Abraham) to bless the nations doesn’t come crashing down. God is still God and His ultimate plans won’t be brought down by one man’s inability to rise in faith.
So if you feel like Zechariah, pick yourself up, brush yourself down and get back in the saddle. Now!
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