BIRTH
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST [LUKE 1:57-66,80]
Zechariah
and Elizabeth wanted so much to have a child, especially as they watched their
neighbors’ families grow. But as deep as their desire was, God wanted their
faith in him to become deeper still. This is, in part, the fruit of their long
years of waiting of the the Lord to fulfill their dreams. Day by day, as they
prayed for a child, they were challenged to continue to hope in God. Every day,
they faced the question, “Is God trustworthy? Does He love us? Will He provide
for us?” And, every time they answered “yes” to these questions, their faith
grew a little stronger.
When
Zechariah was struck mute by the angel (Luke 1:20), he entered an intense time
of blessing from the Lord. God wanted to teach him so that Zechariah could then
teach his son what it meant to rely on God. When John was born, Zechariah’s
response bore witness to the fruit of his nine months of silence. Filled with
the Holy Spirit, he proclaimed God’s faithfulness and prophesied great blessings
over his son.
How
important this time was for Zechariah – and for the whole of salvation history!
John was destined to spend years alone in the desert, listening to God and
awaiting the time when he should appear and announce the Messiah’s coming. Then,
when he was imprisoned by Herod and awaiting his fate, John again needed to be
sustained by all that God had promised. Where did he learn such patience and
trust, if not from Zechariah and Elizabeth?
We
all have unfulfilled desires and hopes. As beloved children of God, we must
never give up hope. We can place our full confidence in the One who called us by
name and hears every prayer that springs from our hearts. As we wait on the
Lord, let us ask Him to mold our characters and make us more like Him. In the
end, we will find that His plan was far better than our own. We will be able to
proclaim with Zechariah that it was not by human power but by divine power that
wonderful things have taken place in our lives.
Jakarta,
24 June 2014
A
Christian Pilgrim
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