God's Gift of Silence (Luke 1:62-64, 67)

In yesterday's blog, we watched on as Zechariah  - the priest - has a nine month "time out" because of his faithlessness.  At first, it sounds harsh to me to call Zechariah faithless.  I usually think of faithless people as people who live wrongly just to spite God.  In my mind, they are the kind of people who live for their own good and no one else - including God - matters much to them.  But Zechariah was faithless simply because he  lacked faith.  He shows all the signs of someone who hasn't been tending their soul.  He wasn't choosing to walk close enough to God to be prepared to accept that what was happening was a miracle of God. 

I had a friend who was a expert on the Middle East. He had a PhD and taught at an important university. He knew all about the people of the Middle East - their government, their religion, their politics. So when the US was considering going to war after 9/11, the state department asked for his help in evaluating the situation there. He was so excited about this opportunity!  This is what his hard work in becoming an expert had been all about. He was going to take part in helping the government make solid decisions about what to do next. This was huge!

But to take this job, he was going to have to get a top secret clearance. He filled out all the paper work and waited. Surely it would just be a matter of days. It was essential that he get started right away. But his background didn't check out. He had a drug arrest on his record - possession of a small amount of pot. He's also had a DUI. There had been too much partying a few years back. Because of this, the government said no to the clearance until he went through a year long evaluation. A year long time out to think it over. Bummer.

I got a call from him saying, "How can this be happening? How can God make me sit this one out?" It seemed devastating - like God had given up on him completely. A year went by... the evaluation took place. He learned a lot about himself during that year... like the fact that he still drank way too much and was irresponsible in the relationships that God had given him. The year long evaluation gave him a time and space to get his life straightened out.

By the end of the year, he saw clearly that God wasn't punishing him. God was giving him a huge gift!  He had been living recklessly up until then.  He hadn't had faith that God had a higher purpose for his life than partying.  He had - by default - chosen to doubt God's claim on his life and his faithlessness was confirmed by his actions.  He had been faithless.

Faithlessness, whether it is a simple lack of faith or taken further and acted out, it can affect our lives in profound ways.  It doesn't gel with the plans God has made for us.  God wants to be known - he wants to be in relationship with us.  And we can't be in the type of deep and meaningful relationship that God desires from us if we cling to our doubts.  Zechariah, the priest, the one who ought to have his act together so he can lead the people of God, is faithless.  So God gives Zechariah a time out - a time of silence to think it over. 
What a blessing this nine month time out was for Zechariah!  For as soon as Zechariah's son, John, is named, the Holy Spirit comes upon Zechariah empowering him to serve God.  And Zechariah resumes - not just his place as priest - but he is now given the privilege of prophesying.  I love this!  God gives him a new and even stronger ministry than before.   God doesn't give up on him.  God didn't give up on my friend either although it sure felt that way.

Luke 1:62-64, 67 ⁶² Then they began motioning to Zechariah to find out what name he wanted to give the baby. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And all of them were amazed. ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God...  Then Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke prophecy...    

Together let's take the "silent" places in our lives and use them for joyous growth and preparation for being used by God in a fresh way! Praise God that he loves us enough to sometimes give us a "time out!"