Silence vs. Negative Speech
“The angel said to him, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.’” – Luke 1:19,20 To wrap up our discussion about Zechariah, I want to conclude by saying that when God shuts our mouths, there’s always a good reason. Though we’re not likely to be visited by an angel and have our tongues physically tied, if we remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, there may be times when the Lord tells us to stay silent. When this happens, it’s usually because He wants to work something out in us, and to speak too hastily might do more harm than good.
