Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. – Luke 1:62-64

If you remember, God took away Zechariah’s ability to speak when Zechariah questioned whether he and Elizabeth could actually have a child. For months, he had been silent, communicating only through writing and gesturing. In this passage, the couple’s friends were saying their child should be named after him, and finally Elizabeth said, “No, his name is John.” They wouldn’t take the word of the kid’s ACTUAL MOTHER, so they went to Zechariah for an answer. Now we’re here.

The reason this struck me is that sometimes it may seem like our forward progress is stunted. It may seem like nobody hears us. There are times that life seems a lot harder than it needs to be. It’s during those times that it’s even more important to obey God. It was Zechariah’s questioning God’s promise that got him in that bind, and it was upholding God’s command that got him out of it.

The answer to your problem may be actively looking for ways to follow God, to answer His call. In a situation where you’re stalled out, it may be that the solution has nothing to do with the problem, but instead it’s something else entirely that God is asking you to do. Think of all the ways Jonah tried to run from God. When he finally did what he was told, the entire city of Ninevah was saved.

Do you remember when you were a child and your mother had to tell you to do the same chore over and over and over again until she finally had to raise her voice and threaten (or maybe that’s your marriage)? God does that. My Mom and I used to joke that God had a big sledgehammer because sometimes it seemed I had my hands over my spiritual ears and was just singing, “lalalallalaaaalllaaalalala” at the top of my lungs so I didn’t have to hear Him, and finally He would just knock me to the ground. Just devastate me. And then I would be like, “Oh hi God, that must be you.”

Look for ways to follow Him. Look for ways to trust Him without question. Test His faithfulness, and you’ll find that He’s got your back every time. It may not feel like it right away, but let it play out. God wants you to succeed.

And when you do succeed, let your first words be to praise God, like Zechariah. ❤️