Hebrews 11 is overflowing with people who served in the silence. We often forget that it says about them that they never received their full reward. They died in faith. "And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better" (11:39-40a). Some of them died with their prayers unanswered. They served in the silence.

Does it require more faith to trust God and be delivered from the fire then to trust God and go through the fire? All around and in every church there are living flesh and blood epistles that bear the engravings of deeds of great faith and perseverance. The pages of their lives may be tattered but their bindings have been sewn with God's enabling grace. Some of you have experienced great personal tragedy. You have had every human excuse to give up on God a long time ago but you haven't. You still keep serving in the silence. Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of great faith. They stuck to it. They learned to serve God in the silence.

Silence Doesn't Last Forever

Faith knows that silence doesn't last forever. "While he was serving" (v. 8). Don't miss what is happening. Zechariah is getting ready to hear from God. What if he had quit? What if he had given up? What if he had said, "God, there is nothing happening." It was while he was serving that God spoke to him. God broke the silence.

Perhaps our dullness of hearing is due to the fact that we are not in a position where we can hear from God? God speaks in the suffering and the serving. How often do we miss out on hearing God because in our trial we cease serving and worshipping God? It is difficult to steer a car when the engine is not running. Keep your ears open to heaven. The latter rains are coming! Trials are not the time to drop out. They are times to press in even closer to Christ.

One of the highest honors for a priest was to offer incense (Lk. 1:9). This was done twice a day, when morning and evening sacrifices were made. This represented the prayers of the people. The priest who was to offer the incense was chosen by lot. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being selected for this honor would be about as likely as winning the power ball this week! However, when God wants to speak and act He opens doors that no man can shut.

While Zechariah was worshipping and serving, the angel of the Lord (Gabriel, Lk. 1:19) appeared. Zechariah was understandably afraid. Gabriel announced that they would have a son. Their silence would be broken.

Luke 1:14-17 emphasizes John the Baptist's role in God's redemptive plan. Yet there was an even larger purpose at work. God was breaking into the silence of the world, and John would be the forerunner who would announce the coming Messiah -- Jesus!

It is encouraging in our trials to remember that the Lord is working out His eternal purposes. His answered prayers for us are ultimately for His kingdom purposes. God broke the silence of Zechariah and Elizabeth. But more than this, God broke 400 years of silence. He was about to fulfill the longing of the people for the Messiah!

Zechariah and Elizabeth were willing to be used by God, they learned that God's "No" is not forever, and they were faithful to the Lord in spite of their circumstance. What about us? Will we continue to serve God no matter what? Will we serve Him in our suffering and in our sickness? Will we serve Him when things are not going the way we thought? Will we serve Him in the silence? That is faith! That is the kind of faith needed today. The kind of faith that will serve in the silence, knowing that the silence will not last forever. What breakthrough could be just ahead to end your silence? You may never know until you learn to serve in the silence.