When it comes to disappointments in my life, I can see that often they relate to the timing of what I believe God has spoken. And the longer you have to wait for some answers, the more difficult that can be. Before we hear about the angel Gabriel visiting Mary in Luke’s gospel, we hear how Gabriel is sent to Zechariah, a priest serving in the temple. Gabriel appears to him in the temple and says he and his wife Elizabeth will be having a baby boy, and that the boy will have a unique role to play in God’s plans. Well, Zechariah and Elizabeth have been waiting so long for a child and so he’s given up hope that it’s going to happen. Even this encounter with an angel isn’t enough to convince him – he’s battle-weary and disappointment has seeped into his bones. Now, although he’s faithful to God and holy, he is suspicious. Perhaps this is his self-preservation method for facing further disappointment.
Zechariah has a question for Gabriel: how can I be sure? Gabriel’s response sounds a little impatient: he reminds Zechariah that most days he stands right before the very Presence of God so of course he’s telling the truth.
Fast forward to a few months later and Gabriel is sent on another message-delivery mission, this time to Mary. She is met with news that was probably even more surprising. Her response is very similar… it also begins with ‘How’. ‘How will this happen?’ she asks.
When we’re faced with God’s promises, we can want to ask ‘how?’ But there are two hows we can ask: the how of unbelief or the how of belief. Mary asked for the details. Zechariah asked for proof. Mary asked for the next step. Zechariah asked for confirmation. I have a lot of sympathy for Zechariah. When faced with God’s promises and my own disappointments, I too ask ‘How can I be sure?’ But the kindness of God is such that actually Zechariah does get the reassurance, although probably not in the way he would have chosen. The ‘sign’ of his proof is that he can’t speak until after the baby is born. He is taken into a season of silence.
What encounters did he have there with God during the silence? When you can’t say anything any more, how much more might you hear? Did he hear God’s instructions for how to raise this unusual child with Elizabeth? Certainly, he seemed to hear God’s instructions for what to name the boy, because it was at the moment of naming that his mouth was opened and he could speak again.
So in the past 18 months of my life, I’ve been shifting my internal question from one ‘how’ to another. To change the question of my heart from ‘How can I be sure?’ to ‘How will this happen?’
This Christmas I am raising money for a mission trip to Montana, where we’ll be encouraging church leaders and working with a move of God among Native American people in Montana. If you’d like to support this, you can donate directly to my trip here. Thank you!
Adventures with God 