May 5

Soon after the birth of the promised child, the father's tongue was loosed, "and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be!" All this tended to call attention to the Messiah's coming, for which John was to prepare the way.

     Imagine spending several months thinking about the error of your ways. You are reminded of your inattention to God’s will at every point when you want to speak. That is the situation that Zacharias found himself in.

     There are two ways to look at this situation. The first thought is to suggest that God is so unfair. Why be so harsh to a servant of God? That does not appear to be the way that Zachariah thinks. We hear that he spoke and praised God – and was obedient to God. We know this because he named his son John, just as he was asked to.

     There is a second way to analyse what happened to John. We could recognise that as Zacharias thought his situation through he realised that there was wisdom in what God did. True, the experience would not be pleasant, but he did have the chance to think things through.

     Had he simply been left to brood through his problems he might have reached a different conclusion, but surrounded as he was by family and friends, and still working at the call of God he was ably supported.

     In his case, what doesn’t kill you strengthens you. He had gone from priest to preacher in one easy move, but we’ll see how that happens tomorrow.

      In the old days singing groups had strange names. Whoever thought of Freddy and the Dreamers or Herman’s Hermits? The names haven’t changed so much. Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are the choice for today. They are singing, ‘The unseen hand’. Thank you Bryn.  Please click on the picture to listen