"But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth." Luke 1:13-14
Waiting is not something that comes naturally to the best of us. When it comes to seeing dreams and promises fulfilled it can be hard to stand firm and not give up. Satan will first try to make us doubt the character of God. Just as he came to Eve in the garden of Eden he will whisper those words, "did God really say....". In the seeming absence of answered prayers we look inward and start to blame ourselves. What should I have done? Is there something I need to be doing?
Zechariah was fulfilling his duty as priest. He was given the incredible opportunity to draw close to the presence of God. He and his wife had waited a long time for a child. Nothing had happened. Did he enter this most holy place with expectancy and anticipation or did he feel this particular promise was out of his reach? All we know for sure is that God broke in. He lifted Zechariah's experience out of a ritual and brought him to a moment of encounter. He revealed to him that the God he and his wife had chosen to faithfully serve and obey not only loved him but was interested in the deepest desires of his heart and he delights in bring those to pass.
He even saves Zechariah from thwarting these plans of blessing by striking him dumb until the child is born. No words of unbelief are spoken. No doubts can be expressed he just gets to watch the incredible plan unfold and when his tongue is finally loosed all he can do is express praise and adoration to his God.
God's plans for you will always lead to a place of spontaneous praise, joy and celebration. At times the journey might be one of blind faith but you will never be disappointed by your destination