Be careful what you wish for. Zechariah asked Gabriel for a sign that he and his wife would conceive a son, and Gabriel definitely gave him that sign when he removed his ability to speak. Now Zechariah holds incredible and exciting news of the impending miracle and he’s stuck with inexperienced attempts at signing to communicate. He must wait for his son in silence.

Zechariah’s silence was a consequence for doubting God’s plan. He stood before the angel Gabriel himself, who had just delivered the incredible details of a miracle God had set in motion, and Zechariah responded by reminding Gabriel how illogical the plan was, how little sense it made in the context of his age and his wife’s sterility.

You can hear Gabriel’s tone, can’t you? How dare you question God? Silence.

Do you wonder if some of the difficulties we face in this life might be consequences of our doubting? Have you suggested plans to God that made a little more sense in consideration of the gifts, desires, and situation you were in? Can you imagine how different life would be if we fully, wholly trusted God, uninhibited by how little sense God’s plan might make from a worldly perspective?

In this account, it’s worth appreciating that there are certainly consequences for Zechariah’s doubt but God’s plan to roll out this incredible miracle remained unchanged. It is tempting to doubt God’s plan because his timeline is so much different than ours. The difficulty in trust is often in the wait time. Just think about Noah working on an ark in front of everyone while day after day it did not rain. Zechariah was told he was having a son, but he still had to wait for that son to arrive.

Whether it is trusting God to bring us through difficulties in our personal life or trusting that he is present and in control in the midst of so much sin in this world, we often have to wait and trust that God not only has a masterful plan for our benefit, but also has the power and wisdom to carry it out. Trust and patience in difficulty are hard, but just as Zechariah stayed and carried out his priestly duties until his time of service was completed, we too have daily work to do. We too must be diligent in accomplishing what is set before us now, small piece by small piece, prayerfully trusting our Savior to carry us, work through us, and bless us.

In our moments of doubt or error, we are reassured that although there may be consequences, God’s plan for salvation is as firm as ever. Our home in heaven is secure, not dependent on our perfect trust or obedience. There are blessings beyond our imagination in store for us, and trusting God to bring us through to receive them can help comfort us while we wait.