Zacharias Responds with Doubt, Day 3

Reading, Luke 1:8-22

Zacharias, by profession, was a priest. He was doing what he was supposed to do at the time he was supposed to do it – offering sacrifices, burning incense, and praying. He was going about his business as usual. Nothing in his duties would indicate that the day would be one he would never forget. It was a ritual and tradition done with a sincere heart. The only difference was the honor bestowed upon him to stand before God and burn the incense. You would think that would have given him pause and filled his heart with expectation.

However, attending business as usual, no matter how sincere it is, tends to leave us unprepared for the unexpected, and an angel appearing to him and promising a long-prayed-for son is incredible, particularly at his age. Zacharias was caught off-guard. So, when faced with the astonishing announcement, Zacharias did what most of us would do. He fell into the trap of the familiar, doubting God's goodness, and it caused him to question the word the angel delivered. Rather than receiving the word by faith, his flesh led him to doubt and step into unbelief. How sad!

When God showed up in his circumstance, Zacharias doubted. This doubt would prompt the Lord to shut Zacharias' mouth throughout Elizabeth's pregnancy. As a result, what should have been a time filled with ecstatic expectation was replaced by silence. You see, business as usual lends itself to comfortability and familiarity, which in turn can lead to sin. Only when we expect the unexpected by faith do we confidently step forward into the new thing God is doing in our lives. It should act as a warning to us, as well. You can walk blamelessly before the Lord and still miss it when He shows up. May we never get so used to where we are now that our faith cannot be stretched in the moment of our visitation.