Wonder - Day 19
The wonder of possible impossibilities
Luke 1:67-79
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
After months of silence, of reflection, of thinking again and again about his encounter with the angel, Zechariah is able to speak. His first words were words of obedience, naming his son John, and his next words were words of praise.
Now, I have been accused more than 12 times of being a talkative individual. I am what doctors call, verbose. I like to communicate. I can’t imagine what all I’d say after nine months of not being able to talk, but I’d like to think the first thing I’d do is offer up praise as well (after telling my family I love them, so they could hear it from my voice after all that time).
This praise Zechariah offers reaches back to the sacred covenant between God and their ancestor, Abraham. It recognizes that though they thought God had abandoned and forgotten them, it turns out that.God had actually been at work in their lives this whole time.
Oh how quick we are to forget how good and faithful God is. One day, an answer to prayer that leads to rejoicing. The next day, a tragedy strikes and we curse God. We are so fickle, so easily swayed by the blowing wind of our present circumstances.
But God shows time and time again that even when you think He’s gone silent, He’s actually about to unveil something you wouldn’t believe even if He told you, and sometimes He has told you. It often comes down to who we believe God to be. Is God a loving God who longs to restore our relationship to Him, to save us and dwell among us forever? Or is God a vengeful and angry God, anxious to punish us for our weak faith?
I believe the former is true. I believe that though we long with wild anticipation for God to return to this earth and make all things right, that it’s actually God who has been longing for it the most. When Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit in the Garden of Eden, what were the first words out of God’s mouth?
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3: 9)
God knew where they were, He’s God after all. It wasn’t a question of location, but a question of position. There was separation between them that He hadn’t felt, nor had they, before, and it hurt.
Then, a few words later, God asked them, “What have you done?” (Genesis 3:13)
Only God knew the full consequences of their decision. Yes, there would be separation. Yes, there would be death and mourning and crying and pain. Yes, His children would struggle and do unspeakable things to each other over centuries. But He also knew that He would stop at nothing to restore the relationship He lost in those moments. He knew that the day would come when He Himself, clothed in human skin, would come to this earth in order to reconcile us and restore our relationship to Him. Why? Because He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Why? Because it is who He is. Why? That is a question that will cause us wonder and worship from now to eternity.
QUESTIONS
Luke 1:67-79
67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
After months of silence, of reflection, of thinking again and again about his encounter with the angel, Zechariah is able to speak. His first words were words of obedience, naming his son John, and his next words were words of praise.
Now, I have been accused more than 12 times of being a talkative individual. I am what doctors call, verbose. I like to communicate. I can’t imagine what all I’d say after nine months of not being able to talk, but I’d like to think the first thing I’d do is offer up praise as well (after telling my family I love them, so they could hear it from my voice after all that time).
This praise Zechariah offers reaches back to the sacred covenant between God and their ancestor, Abraham. It recognizes that though they thought God had abandoned and forgotten them, it turns out that.God had actually been at work in their lives this whole time.
Oh how quick we are to forget how good and faithful God is. One day, an answer to prayer that leads to rejoicing. The next day, a tragedy strikes and we curse God. We are so fickle, so easily swayed by the blowing wind of our present circumstances.
But God shows time and time again that even when you think He’s gone silent, He’s actually about to unveil something you wouldn’t believe even if He told you, and sometimes He has told you. It often comes down to who we believe God to be. Is God a loving God who longs to restore our relationship to Him, to save us and dwell among us forever? Or is God a vengeful and angry God, anxious to punish us for our weak faith?
I believe the former is true. I believe that though we long with wild anticipation for God to return to this earth and make all things right, that it’s actually God who has been longing for it the most. When Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit in the Garden of Eden, what were the first words out of God’s mouth?
“Where are you?” (Genesis 3: 9)
God knew where they were, He’s God after all. It wasn’t a question of location, but a question of position. There was separation between them that He hadn’t felt, nor had they, before, and it hurt.
Then, a few words later, God asked them, “What have you done?” (Genesis 3:13)
Only God knew the full consequences of their decision. Yes, there would be separation. Yes, there would be death and mourning and crying and pain. Yes, His children would struggle and do unspeakable things to each other over centuries. But He also knew that He would stop at nothing to restore the relationship He lost in those moments. He knew that the day would come when He Himself, clothed in human skin, would come to this earth in order to reconcile us and restore our relationship to Him. Why? Because He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Why? Because it is who He is. Why? That is a question that will cause us wonder and worship from now to eternity.
QUESTIONS
- Have you ever lost your voice and been unable to speak for a day, a week, or longer? If so, what was that like and do you remember your first words once your voice came back?
- The late, Brennan Manning, once said that he believed that at the end of time, God would have one question for us, “Do you believe I loved you?” Well, do you? Why or why not?
- When you think about the ultimate reunion day, when we get to see Jesus face to face, what do you think will be the first thing you do or say?
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