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Friday, March 13th, 2015
CityLight Church’s One Year Bible Reading Plan
Numbers 19:1-20:29
Luke 1:1-25
Psalm 56:1-13
Proverbs 11:8
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Commentary from Pastor Mike White:
But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place… – Lk 1:20
Whenever God makes a promise to us, we have a choice: we can respond with faith, or we can respond with fear. Zacharias exhibited a fear response. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were promised a son: God offered them deliverance from their barrenness. Yet instead of leaping for joy at God’s promise, Zacharias responded by asking, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years” (v 18). He responded with fear, and his fear gave way to verbalized doubt.
The miracle-canceling potential of Zacharias’ words was so strong that God made him mute. God was not willing to allow Zacharias to cancel his own miracle with doubt-filled speech, so he shut him up. When we let our doubt become speech, we can actually get in the way of the fulfillment of God’s promises.
What has God promised you? Are you partnering with His promise, and speaking it out over your life, in faith?
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. – Prov 18:21
Prayer:
Father, help me always to respond to Your promises with faith! Whenever I am inclined to speak words of doubt, I ask that you should shut my mouth. Please, in Jesus’ name, do not let me cancel Your promises with negative speech!