When the Light Turns Green

Sometimes the real issue isn’t that God has gone silent - it’s that we’ve stalled. Like sitting at a green light with the engine idling, waiting for a clearer signal that’s already been given. We pray, “God, where are You?” but heaven’s reply might simply be, “The light’s already green. It’s time to go.”

Seasons of silence can make us cautious or hesitant. We can become so focused on waiting for another word that we forget to act on the last one. But the Bible paints a different picture: God often moves through those who keep moving. Zechariah was not found wandering in confusion when the angel appeared—he was found at his post, faithfully doing the task before him.

Found at the Altar

When God broke the long silence between the Old and New Testaments, He didn’t speak to a king, a prophet, or a crowd - He spoke to a worshipper on duty. Zechariah was fulfilling his priestly role at the altar while others prayed outside. After four centuries of divine stillness, heaven thundered again - but the message came to someone who was already in motion, already serving.

That moment is a picture for us. God’s breakthroughs often come in ordinary obedience. Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived decades of disappointment without children, yet they kept walking blamelessly before God. They didn’t let unanswered prayers push them away from worship; they let worship hold them in place until the word arrived.

If we want to hear God in the silence, we must be found where He speaks—at the altar, in His presence, among His people. It’s there, in the rhythm of service and prayer, that His voice often breaks through again. Being “found at the altar” means continuing to live faithfully, even when it feels uneventful, trusting that God notices faithfulness far more than busyness.

Borrow and Share the Fire

Faith cools easily in silence. When the waiting stretches on, the flame flickers. That’s why God designed faith to live in community. Zechariah wasn’t alone when God spoke—he was serving shoulder to shoulder with other priests, surrounded by people praying outside the temple. The miracle happened in a house full of faith.

When you can’t seem to stir your own fire, go where the fire is hot. Find the people who keep worshipping even when it’s dark, who lift their hands when others are weary, who speak life instead of defeat. Sometimes you need to borrow the faith of another until your own begins to burn again.

And just as importantly, be that person for someone else. Carry one another’s burdens, pray until hope rises, and stay in the trenches with those who can’t yet see daylight. The quiet seasons become sacred when we stop isolating and start interceding. When faith feels cold, the answer isn’t to withdraw - it’s to gather closer to the flame.

Refuse Scepticism

Silence often breeds cynicism. When prayers linger unanswered, it’s easy to roll our eyes at new promises or to assume the next word from God will be for someone else. But Scripture warns what that mindset can cost. When the angel declared God’s plan, Zechariah’s first response was doubt - “How can I be sure?” - and it left him unable to speak for months.

This wasn’t punishment as much as protection. God was teaching a truth: scepticism mutes us. Doubt silences praise, it slows momentum, it strangles testimony. In seasons of silence, cynicism becomes a trap that keeps us from hearing the next word clearly.

Faith, on the other hand, keeps its posture open. It says, “I don’t understand this yet, but I trust You.” To refuse scepticism is to guard our language, to resist sarcasm or detachment, and to let expectancy rise again. There is no room for mockery in a moment of revival. The ones who receive the new thing God is doing are the ones still leaning in, still saying, “Yes, Lord - speak again.”

Move on Green

There comes a point when waiting turns into hesitation. God has prepared the soil, tilled the ground, and said, “Go.” But we sit at the intersection of calling and comfort, unsure if it’s really time to move. The Word of God, though, makes it clear: it’s time to step out.

Faith doesn’t wait for every feeling to align. It moves because the truth has already been spoken. To “move on green” is to act on what you already know—to trust that the light is from God, that His Word will guide each step, and that He is faithful to meet you in motion. Drop your anchor deep in the finished work of Jesus, let the Word orient your direction, and press forward.

Like the earth turning through darkness until the sun appears again, we keep walking by faith until the light breaks. God’s silence is not His stillness. The same God who prepared Zechariah’s miracle is preparing yours. The light is green - put your foot on the pedal and go.