Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

I’ve always believed that a well asked and properly placed and timed question is more powerful than a declarative statement.  A question makes the receiving person have to process and come to their own conclusion and if the question is powerful enough then it can change someone’s minds or actions.  We ask questions to learn but we also ask questions to tell.  It is then upon us to assure that we are asking the right questions.

Gabriel tells Zechariah that they are going to have a baby (John the Baptist) and Zechariah asks a question.  That question that makes a statement of his disbelief.  Zechariah gets to be mute during Elizabeth’s pregnancy because he didn’t have the faith to believe it can happen.  We question God all the time?  We wonder where He is in our times of pain and sorrow.  We question why something can be happening to us.  Consider that each time we question God that we get “muted” in someway from experiencing all His blessings that could be ours.  Imagine how much Zechariah would have loved to have conversed with his wife during their time of waiting and preparing.  I can imagine how hard it was to come to a color to paint the nursery.  Ha!  He lost something during that time that he could never get back. God doesn’t tell us not to question Him but we can learn from the story of Zechariah that we can miss out if out faith is at question. What are we questioning today?

Reference:  Luke 1: 18-20 (New Living Translation)