Reading: Luke 1
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless (Luke 1:18-22).
Perfect faith never doubts. It trusts God in all things, never wavering or questioning even for an instant. With perfect faith, there is never a single moment of uncertainty or disbelief. Perfect faith submits instantly to God and precludes any possibility of disobedience or sin. Perfect faith stands in equal measure with perfect love. It beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (I Cor. 13:7).
Perfect faith is the ideal; it is the goal of every Christ-centered heart. We strive to take the precious gift of faith that God has laid in our hearts (Eph. 2:8) and nurture it with His Word until it shines through, directing our every word and deed. This is what we strive for, but it is not something we will ever fully attain during our lifetime on Earth. As illustrated in today’s reading, even the most devout individual sometimes stumbles. Yet when we do, God is there, offering correction and support, guiding and directing. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand (Ps. 37:24).
Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, loved God. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Luke 1:6). They believed in Him, trusted Him, and ordered their lives around His commandments and ordinances. But when Zacharias received a visit from an angel bearing an answer to a decades-old prayer, the humble priest had difficulty accepting the words at face value. His wife was well past childbearing age, so what the angel told him seemed impossible. Zacharias faltered in his faith by assuming the power of God was contained by the limits of His creation.
God’s response to Zacharias' stumble gives us the perfect example of correction with grace. Removing Zacharias’ ability to speak worked three-fold. One—it gave him the sign he sought. God demonstrated His power over the physical state of man. Two—it silenced his faithless words. Zacharias verbally doubted God, and therefore God removed his ability to verbalize. A powerful reminder to consider one’s words before voicing them. Three—it graced Zacharias with the gift of silent observation. For nine months, he was privileged to watch God’s miracle unfold without having to explain or discuss it. God proved Zacharias’ doubt unfounded and gave him extended time to be still and silent in His presence. When his voice returned, Zacharias’ faith was stronger than ever before. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God (1:64).
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth(Ps. 46:10).
Thought for Today: God expects us to continuously strive for perfect faith.
Cross Reference:For Luke 1:17: See Mal. 4:5-6. Luke 1:50: See Ps. 103:17. Luke 1:53: See Ps. 107:9. Luke 1:71: See Ps. 106:10. Luke 1:76: See Mal. 3:1. Luke 1:79: See Is. 9:1-2; 59:8.
Word Studies:1:40 saluted = greeted, embraced; 1:46 magnify = exalt, praise; 1:54 holpen = helped.
Pray for Government Officials:Rep. Mike Levin (CA), Sen. Brian Schatz (HI), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Vice President, Kamala Harris • Country: Eritrea (6.380,803) Eastern Africa • Major Languages: English, Arabic, Tigrinya • Gov't limited religious freedom • Muslim; Coptic Christian; Roman Catholic; Protestant• Prayer Suggestion: Praise God for His mercy (Ps. 136:2).