Open Mouth

Good Morning all. I took a rest yesterday. I hope everyone is doing well. This past week I had something that happened and I went to ask for guidance but God shut my mouth, literally. He reminded me that I laid it at his feet and I should just trust and obey and wait for him to take care of the situation. That leads me into today's discussion. Let's start with verse 57. "When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. (Notice it says they heard, they didn't witness it first hand, they heard and they shared in her joy for the Lord's mercy. Even when we are going through something, do we share in the joy of others when God has shown them mercy or do stay in our storm?) On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, No! He is to be called John." (In those days it was a practice to name children from family names. Look at the exclamation point. She meant business. Also we have to remember that God shut Zechariah's mouth.) "They said to her, There is no one among your relatives who has that name. Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. (They looked to the head of the household, they were asking him is this what you want us to do? Let's look at what he did.) "He asked for a writing table, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, His name is John.'" (He just confirmed what Elizabeth said. But that shows both of their faith in God. God commanded them to do something and they followed through. By the astonishment on the people's face, neither Elizabeth or Zechariah had told them what God had commanded. They took God at his word and followed through holding nothing back. Can we say the same for our faith?) "Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God." (The Bible says 'immediately' so when Zechariah showed complete faith in God and followed God's commands, he could speak again. God did what he said he was going to do. But look at what the Bible says he spoke first- praising God. Do we praise God during our storms of life and when the storm is lifted is that our first response? I know it's not always mine.) "All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. (It says that it just wasn't talk about in the house but through out the land. Do we spread our joy and astonishment through out our land? No and No! But why?) "Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, What then is this child going to be? For the Lord's hand was with him." (If we would show the same faith as Elizabeth and Zechariah and follow the commands given to us, then talk about God's grace and mercy in our lives, do you think all the people would say, The Lord is with them!) Have a blessed day!