Strength from Silence

He doubted God. Standing in the presence of holiness, he doubted. 

And God left him mute.

Father, it had been four hundred years since You had spoken on earth and You silenced the one man to whom You spoke because he questioned the angel’s message from You.  I think I might have done the same thing as Zachariah. . .

Zachariah spent the next nine or ten months in silence.  He could not speak and he probably could not hear because he was old and people had to make signs to him to communicate. Luke 1:62 

He lived ten months of watching.

Father, what would I learn if my words were silenced and I could only observe the world around me?  And what if You were the only One with whom I could reason through my observations? 

(Big smile) I know that answer.  You would change me.

Zachariah’s silence ended when he named his son, John. Luke 1:20  That name astonished the folks who had come for the naming because “John” was not a family name.  Everyone assumed Zachariah would give his name to his only son, but he did not.

And he did not defend his decision before his friends or neighbors.

At that very moment of naming, Zachariah's first words that rolled off his tongue were praises to God. There is a lesson in this: Silence bred strength.  Zachariah was changed.  He praised God then spoke blessings and prophecy.  

     Doubt no longer had a place.  

          Defense of his son's name had no place, 

               and this was their friend's and neighbor's response:

And fear (awe) came on all those living around them;

and all these matters

were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.

Luke 1:65

Zachariah and Elizabeth did not respond to the gossip.   Instead, they turned to their God and obeyed Him.  

Loving Lord, help me remember this as You call me to do certain things.  Help me keep my eyes on You.  Man’s opinion stumbles me.  And my strength drains.  It sometimes hurts to be set apart, but I want the strength that comes from silence with You.  Can I obey You and struggle at the same time and not sin against You?  I ask this because if I ignore the struggle, my heart starts to feel cold, shut down, stone-like heavy, dead.

And our precious Lord responded with an answer to that prayer 

and with encouragement:

Let us run with endurance

the race that is set before us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of faith,

who for the joy set before Him,

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,

so that you may not grow weary

and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1b-3 (emphasis added)

Jesus had feelings and He still obeyed the Father's purposes for His life.  

Father, I want to be like Jesus.  Living fully alive is not for the faint hearted.  It takes courage to obey sometimes.  It takes strength to not cower in the face of peer pressure or of people's expectations.  It takes strength to not doubt Your calling, but to persevere with trust even when it does not make sense to my brain.  Thank You for being my strength.  

May silence before our God manifest itself in strength, hearing Him and obeying Him, especially when life's messes or sufferings cause us to struggle.  And may we walk in the purposes He has for our lives.

Love always,

Angie

   

I do not know who wrote this, 

but I have kept it for many years on a slip of paper in my Bible:                     

I walked a mile with Pleasure

She chattered all the way

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow

And not a word said she

But oh the wisdom that I gained

When Sorrow walked with me.