Luke 1:59-64 – Zechariah names John and can speak

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.

If you hadn’t spoken a word in nine months, you might have a great deal to say. You might even have nine months of frustration and resentment stored up, that you are bursting to give voice to. Not so for Zechariah, who has had nine months to reflect on the promises shared by the angel Gabriel and to think about God’s plans and purpose for your son and the world. And so as Gabriel’s prophecy gradually unfolded, Zechariah is overwhelmed with his personal experience of God’s power. Praise and wonder are the only fitting response. Today, let Zechariah inspire us to make the time for praise, because it is far too easy to overlook how often God answers our prayers. Pause today and remember all our cries of help that God has answered, and praise God for all the wondrous ways he is at work in our lives.