Selah

<sup>Luke 1:19-23


19</sup> And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.²⁰ And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ²¹ And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. ²² And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. ²³ And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.




Wouldn't it be amazing if we learned how to be silent after hearing from a messenger of the Lord? Often, our earthly bodies cannot encompass the fullness and richness of heaven-sent words. By silence, we intrigue others to search for the root of the news instead of spewing our own interpretations on and "feelings" of God's words. We eliminate our filter on God's will and let it not only marinate in our own souls, but also touch those in our community. 
This muteness was such a change in character for Zechariah, that others knew that God had touched him, simply by his new demeanor. Will we let God's will penetrate our souls so deeply that our friends notice an outward change in our appearance? Will we stand with "unveiled faces beholding the glory of the Lord", or allow the earth to form its own facade? (2 Corinthians 3:18)   
The bible speaks of this "waiting period". The moments between the Holy Spirit's declaration of truth and fulfillment of God's promises can wear us down and allow regression into things of the world. Let us look at what the Lord says in regards to this time that requires endurance.


a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  Ecclesiastes 3:7 


Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.  Proverbs 17:28


Sometimes, we just need to learn how to shut our mouths and let God be God. Maybe, the Holy Spirit can work without human intervention...maybe..just maybe. Silence speaks louder than words, especially in a culture where noise is the norm and silence can be scary. 


There is a reason men and women in monasteries have chosen to be silent during times of fellowship.  They have allowed the Holy Spirit to become so engrained in their daily thoughts and tasks, there is no room for discussion of the temporal. 

Zechariah continued to make signs to His friends-He used action.  He did not need words. Fellowship with believers is encouraged, but the Lord will fulfill His promises no matter what. Instead of filling the waiting period with discussion of the "here and now", silence keeps us focused on the intangible promise God has promised us. Intangible action on our part allows for the Holy Spirit's intangible actions to become tangible. 


Let us allow the Lord to direct us. And, let us allow the Holy Spirit to take over our words so that we can simply meditate upon the Gospel. 


Let us be an intelligent generation of Christ Followers. The ones that speak less, listen more, use signs instead of useless noise, and await the fulfillment of His promises.