When its Quiet, Day 16

Ever notice how the loudest seasons can still feel empty? We lean into a quieter path by tracing the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1:57–66, where a silenced father, a surprising name, and a community’s awe reveal how God grows faith away from the noise. I share why Zechariah’s months without words weren’t punishment but protection, a sacred hush that stripped out second-guessing and made space for trust to deepen.

As we prepare our hearts for Christ, John’s birth reminds us that God’s timing is precise, His mercy personal, and His peace best heard when the volume drops. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a breath of quiet, and leave a review so others can find these Advent reflections too.

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Song: Whip

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Series Context
• 0:45 John The Baptist: Day 16 Focus
• 1:54 Scripture Reading From Luke 1
• 2:44 The Power And Purpose Of Silence
• 4:20 Reflection Questions And Prayer
• 6:08 Devotional Invitation And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello, hello. This is Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast. Welcome, welcome. This year I'm bringing my 25-day Christmas devotional to life in a new way. Beginning on day 11 through day 25, each devotional entry now has a matching mini podcast episode, a simple 8 to 10 minute reflection designed to help you slow down and truly sit with the story of Jesus' birth. Each episode clearly follows the same day as the written devotional, so day 11 in the book is day 11 on the podcast and so forth. My hope is that these daily audio reflections make the journey to Christmas feel even more personal, peaceful, and meaningful. Thank you for being here. Let's go. When it's quiet, the birth of John the Baptist, Episode 83, day 16. Key passage, Luke 1, 57 through 66. For it says, When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the baby, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. But his mother spoke up and said, No, his name is to be called John. They said to her, There is no one among your relatives who has that name. Then they made signs to his father to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, His name is John. Immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judah, people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, What then is this child going to be? For the Lord's hand was with him. So let me start off like this for today's lesson. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Can I get an amen on that? Amen, right? Sometimes we talk ourselves right out of opportunities. Sometimes we add more stress simply by talking. And honestly, it usually it's usually not the best idea to ask five different people for their opinion. The more opinions, the more talking, the more researching, the more confused you become. Before you know it, you're down a rabbit hole. We've all been there. Today in day 16 of this devotional, we're focusing on the birth of John the Baptist, as I just read. John was born to Elizabeth and Zechariah, and of course their neighbors and elders came to celebrate, as it says in Scripture, because everyone knew this birth was a miracle. Elizabeth was advanced in age, and yet God blessed her with a child. When it came time to name the baby, everyone assumed it would be named after their father, his father, Zechariah. And as it said earlier, Elizabeth immediately said, No, his name is John. Naturally, no one took her seriously. They wanted the father's confirmation, because we know the men, man, men always came first back at this time frame. But remember, Zechariah had been silent since his encounter with the angel Gabriel, and silenced and was silenced because of his lack of faith when they when he when Gabriel told him that Elizabeth was going to conceive. So for nine months, Zechariah cannot speak, and many scholars believe he may not have been able to hear either. Imagine that. All the noise of the world shut off, his doubts silenced, his fears silenced, his opinions silenced. Just him, God and the quiet. Forced stillness, forced reflection, forced faith. So when they asked Zechariah what the baby's name should be, he wrote it down and he said, John. And immediately, immediately, his his hearing and voice was restored. Everyone was shocked. This moment made people ask, What is this child going to become? as it said in Scripture. And what an introduction, what a birth story for John the Baptist, right? Zechariah got his voice back, and the first thing he did was what? Praise God. His faith was refined during a silent season. God removed every distraction that could have interfered with the promise he was bringing forth. Can you imagine if Zechariah had not listened, had not been silenced? How could he have stressed not how, but he could have, you know, stressed Elizabeth out. He could have spoken fear over her pregnancy. He could have tried to rebuke or question what God was doing the entire time. Sometimes silence is the greatest protection God has gone can give us. Silence forces us to lean on faith and not noise. Silence magnifies what God is doing. Silence removes the voices that would have derailed us in the first place. So let me ask you this. When you're enduring something, are you talking to everyone? Are you listening to everyone? Or are you going silent and letting God handle it? Let's pray. Father, thank you for your silence. Thank you for teaching us that noise isn't always the path to blessing. Thank you for the story of John and for how beautifully it prepares us for the birth of Christ. Help us to embrace the quiet moments, trust your timing, appreciate Jesus Christ in his birth, and let the rest in your voice be heard above others. Father, we love you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all. Till next time. Thank you for listening. This episode is part of my Christmas devotional series inspired by my written devotional, 25 Days Till Christmas, a scriptured-filled journey preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I invite you to read along and reflect on his story in a deeper way. Details in the show notes for the written devotional. And it also says in Scripture, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill towards men. Luke 2, 14. And don't miss the next reflection in this Christmas series by subscribing to the podcast to continue walking through God's Word this season. And a little bit about me. I'm Jesse Morgan, wife, mom, and devotional writer and podcaster who loves sharing biblical encouragement and the hope we find in Jesus. Till next time, Jesse Morgan signing off.