Wonder - Day 4
The wonder of a promise
Luke 1:18-20
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
And there it is, doubt. In fact, a pattern we’ll see repeated in the Christmas story is that often, when God calls us or makes a promise, our first response is to look at ourselves and our limitations instead of who God is.
For Zechariah, he knows how old they are. I love how good of a husband he is in this encounter with the angel. Notice how he says he’s an old man, but his wife is just “well along in years.” Zechariah would get brownie points for sure for his description of his bride.
Does this story sound familiar at all to you? It should. Back in the book of Genesis, there was another old couple who had been promised a son, in fact, they were promised a nation to come through them. However, their promise came years before it actually happened.
One difference between the story of Abraham and Sarah is that they got tired of waiting and took matters into their own hands, whereas Zechariah and Elizabeth continued to be faithful and believe. Well, at least that’s what happened after Zechariah was struck speechless by the angel for his lack of belief.
And some see Zechariah’s speechlessness as a punishment. I actually see it as a blessing. For the next nine or so months, Zechariah would get the opportunity to listen for God’s voice in a new way. He’d learn to trust in Him more. Then, after Elizabeth became pregnant, Zechariah would get to continue to reflect on the words the angel spoke in the temple that day about what the boy would do. Those words would become so seared into his mind that he couldn’t forget them even if he wanted too. Those words would be his guide as he would raise this boy to fulfill God’s call.
QUESTIONS
Luke 1:18-20
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
And there it is, doubt. In fact, a pattern we’ll see repeated in the Christmas story is that often, when God calls us or makes a promise, our first response is to look at ourselves and our limitations instead of who God is.
For Zechariah, he knows how old they are. I love how good of a husband he is in this encounter with the angel. Notice how he says he’s an old man, but his wife is just “well along in years.” Zechariah would get brownie points for sure for his description of his bride.
Does this story sound familiar at all to you? It should. Back in the book of Genesis, there was another old couple who had been promised a son, in fact, they were promised a nation to come through them. However, their promise came years before it actually happened.
One difference between the story of Abraham and Sarah is that they got tired of waiting and took matters into their own hands, whereas Zechariah and Elizabeth continued to be faithful and believe. Well, at least that’s what happened after Zechariah was struck speechless by the angel for his lack of belief.
And some see Zechariah’s speechlessness as a punishment. I actually see it as a blessing. For the next nine or so months, Zechariah would get the opportunity to listen for God’s voice in a new way. He’d learn to trust in Him more. Then, after Elizabeth became pregnant, Zechariah would get to continue to reflect on the words the angel spoke in the temple that day about what the boy would do. Those words would become so seared into his mind that he couldn’t forget them even if he wanted too. Those words would be his guide as he would raise this boy to fulfill God’s call.
QUESTIONS
- Have you ever gone through a struggle that turned out to be a blessing? What was it and what blessing came from it that maybe surprised you?
- Why do you think we’re so quick to look at our own faults and weaknesses whenever God calls or makes us a promise?
- What’s something you need to trust God with today?
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