Zacharias asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. 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. 20 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 1:18-20 (NIV)

God often fixes our understanding of Him before He fixes our circumstances. We are bound to repeat our mistakes and failures if He fixes our circumstances without first fixing our understanding of His nature and character.

In the Bible, God often needs to adjust someone's perspective or worldview before they may enjoy a new season of faithfulness and fruitfulness. If they were to bring their fears and disappointments from their past, they may find it difficult to trust God for their future. This is because it is so painful to be disappointed again if God's promises have not yet been fulfilled.

The good news about Elisabeth's pregnancy from the Angel Gabriel overwhelmed Zacharias with more concern and bewilderment than joy and gladness. This is because Zacharias clung to the prospect of having a son until it appeared to be too late due to their advanced age and Elisabeth's barrenness.

Maybe this is you. Perhaps you have been hopeful when it appears that the conditions and circumstances are favourable for God to come true for you. However, as things become more difficult, if not impossible, trusting God for what He has promised becomes more of a trial than a blessing.

The inability of Zacharias to speak was not a punishment, but rather a preparation for him to be even more surprised by God's grace and faithfulness. God renewed Zechariah’s perspective and restored his confidence in Him, and as a result, the priest became a prophet. The next time Zacharias opened his mouth, it was not about his son John but about Jesus, the soon-to-be-born Messiah.

Similarly, God must change your perception of Him in order to lead you to a new encounter with His kindness and love, allowing you to flourish and prosper. Learn to trust Him who can turn you from a worrier to a warrior, your wounds into words of wisdom and comfort, and your devastating disappointments into divine appointments

We can only do what we can do, but God can do what we cannot do.