Luke 1:18-20

Luk 1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this? Because I am elderly, and my wife is well matured in her days.”
Luk 1:19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and announce these good things to you.
Luk 1:20 But, notice! you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their appointed time.”

faithful and faith-filled

God requires faith, not just faithfulness. When he says something, he expects his faithful ones to believe it. This is true if he says it through an angel, or if he says it in scripture. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been described as “in right standing before God,” and “walking blamelessly according to all the Lord commanded and required.” Yet, when it came to this statement, Zechariah found it hard to believe it. My question to you, brother or sister in Christ, is not “are you being faithful?” My question is “do you believe what he said?”

LORD, make us faithful and faith-filled.