 This week at Living Grace, we began a new Advent series called “When God Broke the Silence.”
Our first message, “The Silence Before the Savior,” looked at Luke 1:5–25 and the story of a priest named Zechariah. Between the last prophet of the Old Testament and the opening of the New, there were roughly four hundred years without a word from God. No prophet, no angelic message, no new revelation. Just silence. Yet in that quiet season, God was not absent. He was preparing the moment when He would speak again and set His plan of salvation in motion. Zechariah’s story helps us understand what God often does in our own seasons of silence, doubt, and obedience. SILENCE TESTS OUR FAITH Most of us know what it feels like to pray and hear nothing in return. We cry out to God, we ask for direction, and all we seem to get is quiet. In those moments, it is easy to wonder if God has forgotten us. Psalm 13 gives words to that ache. David cries, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” That is not a polished, neat prayer. It is the cry of a heart that feels abandoned, even though it is not. Scripture is honest about this struggle. Faith is not the absence of questions. Faith is clinging to God when the questions are loud, and the answers are slow in coming. In the Old Testament, Israel saw God work in powerful, visible ways. They watched the Red Sea part, ate manna from heaven, and followed the pillar of cloud and fire. Yet even with miracles right in front of them, they still doubted. That should humble us. If they struggled while seeing God move, it is no surprise that we wrestle when God seems quiet. Isaiah reminds us, “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Waiting is not wasted time. It is often the place where God deepens our trust, strengthens our character, and teaches us to depend on Him rather than on what we can see or feel. In Israel’s four hundred years of silence, God was not inactive. He was arranging kings and kingdoms, moving history, and preparing the exact moment when He would speak again through an angel in the temple. In the same way, His silence in our lives is often the quiet before His next move. WHEN DOUBT MEETS GOD’S CALL When God finally broke the silence, He did not send Gabriel to a palace or a crowd. He sent him to a faithful priest named Zechariah who was serving in the temple. Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were described as righteous and blameless, yet they carried the deep disappointment of childlessness. Gabriel’s message was unbelievable in human terms. Their prayer had been heard. They would have a son, and this son would be the forerunner of the Messiah. After years of silence from heaven and years of unanswered personal prayers, Zechariah struggled to believe. “How shall I know this?” he asked. In other words, “How can I be sure?” His response was not rebellion. It came from a heart that had been disappointed many times. Yet his doubt still mattered. God took away his ability to speak until the promise was fulfilled. It was not cruel punishment. It was merciful discipline that would teach Zechariah the cost of unbelief and the power of obedience. James writes that the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6). When doubt is in control, it is difficult to stay steady. We hesitate. We delay. We pull back from what God has clearly asked us to do. God often invites us into His work. He nudges us to encourage someone, share the gospel, give generously, or step into a ministry opportunity. When we hesitate, He can still accomplish His plan through someone else, but we miss the joy of being part of it. Zechariah’s story is a sober reminder that doubt can cost us more than we think. At the same time, God is patient. He understands our fears and questions, yet He still calls us to trust Him. He expects obedience even when the path is not clear, and His timing feels slow. We do not measure His call by what we see. We measure it by who He is. WHEN OBEDIENCE GIVES US A VOICE The turning point in Zechariah’s story comes when the child is finally born. Everyone assumes the baby will be named after his father. That is what tradition expects. But God had already spoken. “You shall call his name John.” Elizabeth insists on the name John. The crowd turns to Zechariah for the final word. Still unable to speak, he asks for a writing tablet and writes, “His name is John.” At that moment, his tongue is loosed, and he begins to praise God. God did not restore Zechariah’s voice when the angel left, or when Elizabeth became pregnant, or even at the baby’s birth. His voice returned when his obedience lined up with God’s word. Obedience opened his mouth. Scripture connects blessing with obedience again and again. “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart” (Psalm 119:2). Jesus says, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21). We can call Jesus “Lord,” but it means little if we refuse to do what He says (Luke 6:46). Once Zechariah obeyed, God not only restored his speech. He filled him with the Holy Spirit and gave him a prophetic word about the coming Savior. The man who had been silent for months suddenly became a loud witness to God’s mercy, faithfulness, and salvation. That is what obedience does. It does more than change our behavior. It changes our desires, our words, and even our identity. God takes our weakness and turns it into a testimony. He takes our doubt and turns it into a declaration. He takes our silence and fills it with praise. When we obey, we step into the flow of what God is already doing. Like Zechariah, we find that our story becomes part of a much larger story that points to Christ. PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE Here are a few simple ways to live out Sunday’s message this week:
CONSIDER THIS…
CLOSING THOUGHT The story of Zechariah shows us that God is at work even when He seems quiet. Silence tests our faith. Doubt tests our obedience. Obedience opens our mouths. If you are in a season of silence, it does not mean God has abandoned you. He may be preparing something far greater than you can see right now. When His word comes, the question will be whether you will trust Him enough to obey. As we move through this Advent season, may we listen for His voice, trust His timing, and walk in obedience so that our lives can declare the greatness of the Savior who broke the silence and stepped into our world. – Pastor Charley Munro Living Grace Church, Tyler, Texas
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