Keep your doubts to yourself; I have enough of my own

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Numbers 13:31—14:25; Romans 3:9-20

Evening: Psalm 103; Luke 1:5-23

John Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and politician, wrote: “Give me the benefit of your convictions, if you have any, but keep your doubts to yourself, for I have enough of my own.”  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, doubted Gabriel’s news that Elizabeth, his wife, would bear a child – she had not been able to before.  You could understand Zechariah having doubts, right!?  But his reward for doubting was to become mute until John was born … he would now have to keep his doubts to himself!  Ouch! … hence the modern expression of disbelief, “Shut up!”