A Break in the Silence

Silence. When was the last time you experienced it? 

In my attempts to write this devotional, peace and quiet have been hard to find. I keep changing locations, but the sounds of daily life keep following me. When I was a little girl, I remember my dad taking us on a hike and having us sit in silence for an unbearable amount of time—five whole minutes! Now, I understand how desperately he needed those fleeting minutes to enjoy silence.

But what about when you don’t choose or seek out silence? What about when it’s loud and, like for me as a little girl, seemingly endless.

God Speaks

Zechariah and Elizabeth lived during the time between the Old and New Testaments, when there had been no new prophets or revelation from the mouth of God for Israel. God had been silent for 400 years. 

Then, just at the right time, God speaks, sending a message through the angel, Gabriel, to Zechariah while he is performing his duties as priest. Luke 1:9 says, “It happened that he was chosen by lot…”. But there was no “chance” in Zechariah being chosen to enter the holy place of the temple on that day. God chose him.

There, the angel tells Zechariah that he will have a son. His name will be John, and he will be a prophet of the Most High, preparing the way for the long-awaited King—Jesus.

A break in the silence. 

But like many of us would in this situation, Zechariah questions how he and his wife who have been childless and are getting on in years, could have a son. Gabriel proceeds to tell him that because he questions it, he will be struck mute—silent, until it all came to pass. 

After 400 years of silence, God finally speaks—and the one who first hears it is struck silent. 

Zechariah’s silence isn’t broken until his son is born, and he writes down that his name is John. Then, he is filled with the Holy Spirit and utters a beautiful prophecy announcing the Good News of their coming King. 

Though his own son has just been born, a miracle, in itself, Zechariah focuses on praising the One would soon come like the rising sun and flood the darkness with light, the One who would lead them in the way of peace.  

Reflect:  How do you face times of apparent silence from God? Are you prone to fill in the blanks for yourself?