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 said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 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 appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home.

When we experience disappointment over not having something we see most people have, something even as close as children, we sometimes hesitate to believe even when something better than we dreamed is presented. Cherish, my wife, experienced this disappointment when she had to go back to work for 14 years after being a homemaker and taking care of our children. This was our highest priority, raising Godly children, and now we had to trust the Lord to take care of our kids without being with them constantly. She has always wanted to return to staying home, but after so long, she didn’t think it would ever happen. Over a year ago, circumstances presented themselves during COVID where we had to decide what the future would hold for us and in specific her career. When God impressed on me the option of having her stay at home, she hesitated, wondering, questioning how this would work, would she be good at it, etc? We always knew she wanted this and was made to be an awesome mother for our kids. But the hesitancy was real. Before we go and judge Zechariah, we must ask ourselves, do we fully believe God. Do we believe he has the best in store for us? Do we believe he is going to bless us beyond our wildest dreams if we follow him?

I think God understood Zechariah, but I also think he was laying down a marker, making him speechless. He was saying, remember to fully trust me next time. And there are consequences to unbelief.

Lord, teach me to trust you more fully and to not hesitate when you act. Help me to believe you. That you have my best planned out for me. That you deeply love me. And you will, in your timing, deliver amazing results!