Verbal floodgates

Luke 1:67-79

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Zechariah hasn't spoken for nine months. If you recall, he is the old guy who was struck mute when he questioned the possibility that his old crone wife, Elizabeth,could possibly be with child. Even though Zechariah (whose name means "God remembers")had been told directly by an angel what was going to happen, he questioned it because he couldn't get the "why" and "how" of what was being foretold. So the angel said: Shush! Be quiet!

Have you ever been told by somebody to be quiet when you are teeming with questions or concerns? It might have happened when you were in a class of some sort and the lecturer said...just wait, I'll answer questions later. Or it may happen when your internal wisdom halts your chattering brain and says "Be still...".

How do you respond when somebody says "Ok, time to talk" after you have been halted with an emphatic "Shhhh"? Sometimes our egos have been offended...and we clamp up and withold our words long after the permission to speak has been announced. Or sometimes our self esteem has been squleched and we feel that whatever words we might offer are of little value...those are the moments when we say "Never mind!"

So, back to Zechariah...

Gazing at the baby who he had just named "John" (according to divine instruction), the old man is filled with the Holy Spirit and the words pour out in a stream of praise. He says nothing about his own joy and relief to be able to speak once again... The flood of praise points to all that God has accomplished in the past. The praise and thanksgiving testifies to the reason WHY we can trust that God continues to do great things for and through His chosen ones.

When something incredible (a miraculous event or a deliverance) happens in your life, how do you respond? What do you say about things you can't understand? Do you try to figure things out (perhaps so you can identify a way to duplicate the happening)? Do you speak about something being random and/or "lucky" or do you acknowledge the Giver of Good Things?

What happens if you view your life as one that is also part of the deliverance story of the people of God? In Christ, you have been saved! If you have been mute about that, what words might pour out if you recall that God Remembers You...every moment.

It's not about an eloquent oration...although some of us may have that gift. "Bless the Lord" or "Thanks be to God" in all situations opens up the floodgate of gratitude ... and sets the pattern for all other words that follow.