And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. (Luke 1:54 ESV)
Fear Not… Then Praise Loudly
Zechariah had been silenced by God for nearly nine months. Zechariah had not merely lost his cell phone, or lost facebook, or lost wi-fi. Zechariah lost the ability to speak.
And when his voice was restored, his response was profound.
Perhaps this criticism is more general than personal, but last year when the restraints on our activities were lifted, what was our reaction? When we’ve been ill or shut-in for an extended time, and eventually are freed, what was our reaction? When our besetting troubles almost overwhelmed us, but then a solution blossomed, what was our reaction?
We probably smiled. We probably went out to eat. We probably hugged, and laughed, and acted goofy.
But did we praise God? Was our gratitude to God, like Zechariah’s, loud, irrepressible, and obvious?
The first thing Zechariah did was not comment on the upcoming camel races. He did not complain about the silly things he had heard while silenced. He did not tell a few jokes, recount anecdotes, or express devotion to his family, friends, or community.
Those things probably came later.
But first, Zechariah blessed the Lord!
When we are on the other side of our fears, troubles, and pains… what is the first thing out of our mouths?
Fear not, then loudly praise the Lord.