Zechariah fell silent

Zechariah fell silent

Zechariah fell silent before he could complete his final temple duty. The priest would customarily return to the courtyard after completing his tasks and bless the people. On Zechariah’s big day, the people waited outside for a blessing they didn’t get. He had accomplished everything else, but he never got to speak that benediction. For nine months a benediction had been mounting in the old priest with every fresh evidence of God’s faithfulness. When God finally loosed that tongue, it was like a calf loosed from a stall.

Sometimes we praise because we choose to; other times we praise because we want to. Occasionally we praise because we have to—because, if we don’t, the rocks will cry out! That’s compulsory praise!