“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (Luke 1 v 18-20)
His presence is everything.
Zechariah was standing in the holiest symbolic place of the presence of God but he wasn’t standing in His presence and it showed.
We can gather at many altars and perform a variety of liturgies. We can arrange our artefacts around us. We can position our Temple furniture and we can perform our duty of worship. Yet in all of that we can have let go of the old dreams, the prayers that are now not prayed and the hope that has disappeared.
You see, the answer is always the presence of God.
The presence keeps dreams new, prayers fresh and hope alive.
We need visitations from angels or people who have been standing in the presence of God.
Surround yourself with the presence of God. His presence is everything.
His presence is to be learnt and as we do it can lead us to miracles we long for.
Zechariah asks for a sign that this amazingly great news and answer to a very old prayer of theirs would actually come true. Wouldn’t we? Yes we would.
So the sign is given. Where is the sign? Zechariah wasn’t expecting that he would be the sign! It isn’t a punishment, it is a grace. “You will be silent”.
Some miracles need silence.
Maybe we also need to shut up and stop thinking of all the reasons why something cannot happen and be prepared to be part of an amazing story.
Zechariah had to complete his duty in the Temple and then go outside to meet the worshippers. He then had to go home and sleep with his wife Elizabeth. This was not the Immaculate Conception. He would then have to wait the 9 month period. In all of this he needed to be silent. If he had kept voicing his concerns then it would have affected the story.
Shut up and do what you have to do. Be a sign for your miracle.
Recognise His presence today, speak less perhaps not at all and be obedient.
Missions Paul 