Take everything to God. Everything.
Whether it’s your hopes and dreams, or your fears and worries – take it all to God.
God answers every prayer. Sometimes God’s answer is “yes.” Sometimes it’s “no, I’ve got something better for you.” Sometimes it’s “wait.”
That last one, where God’s answer is “wait,” is the hardest one for most of us. I know it is for me.
When you’ve been praying for something for a long time, you can lose hope. Because of the way that waiting can weigh on your heart.
Waiting can lead you to doubt. It makes you wonder whether it will ever happen. It makes you ask whether it’s been too long.
We see it in today’s Gospel. Zechariah and Elizabeth have been believing and praying for a child. For years. Elizabeth is still believing for a child. But not Zechariah. They’ve been waiting for so long that Zechariah has lost hope.
Elizabeth has to be heartbroken. Not only is she struggling with waiting on God, but Zechariah – the person who should have been her strongest support – isn’t there for her. Elizabeth has to carry on alone, because Zechariah has given up.
We see it in his response to the angel telling him that their prayers are being answered. Zechariah doesn’t buy it.
The beautiful thing about it? The angel doesn’t turn to Elizabeth and say, “I’m sorry, God would have given you a child, if Zechariah hadn’t given up.”
Instead, Elizabeth (who would have been overjoyed with any child) gets more than she asked for – a child who would become the greatest of the prophets.
Zechariah’s doubts have no impact on God. Or on God’s answer to Elizabeth’s prayers.
The only person Zechariah’s doubts have any impact on is Zechariah. Who gets struck mute by the angel.
I’ve often wondered whether the angel’s swipe at Zechariah didn’t have more to do with him emotionally bailing on Elizabeth than it did with doubting God.
Each of us knows an Elizabeth or two. Someone who’s believing and praying. Someone who’s waiting on the Lord. Maybe for a long time.
Today, reach out to the Elizabeths in your life. Pray for them. Support them as they wait on the Lord. Let them know that you’re there for them.
Don’t be a Zechariah.