ADVENT!

My friend Scott spoke about Zechariah and Elizabeth Sunday morning. The story is found in the very beginning of Dr. Luke’s gospel and piqued my interest with a whole new perspective. Honestly, there’s no other book in the world like God’s Word! Even after 39 years of serious Bible study, there is always something new, like diving in the ocean. You can never exhaust the wealth and riches of it, and there is always some fantastic new treasure to be discovered.

After 400 silent years between Malachi and Matthew, all the years of waiting and praying for a child, the DIVINE STORY breaks back on stage. The curtain rises and we, the reading audience, come to the opening scene: the day Zechariah was chosen by lot to offer incense in the temple. Steeped in Jewish tradition and the laws of Moses, Scott pointed out that he was 1 out of about 18,000 priests on call. It probably felt like winning the lottery to have this opportunity to serve.

Let me insert a thought about that--a striking contrast to the AWESOME PRIVILEGE we have today! We are urged (at the end of Hebrews 4) to approach the throne of grace with confidence, since Christ’s death on the cross caused the temple veil to be rent in two from top to bottom. He opened the way for us to approach God freely at any time and call him Abba Father! Back in ‘the day’ however, you had to be selected to enter into the presence of God, in the holy of holies. They even had to tie a cord around his ankle in case he fell dead due to a misstep and had to be dragged out!

But getting back to the main stage of our story, the precise timing and hand of God in the details was evident when the old man stood before the altar and now his day got even better when an angel appeared and said, “Your prayers have been heard.” Wow! Who among us wouldn’t LOVE to have that happen? “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you and many will rejoice because of his birth…”

It’s a great story, isn’t it? Don’t you love it when someone finally has a breakthrough and a dream is fulfilled? We often skim over the details of a familiar tale, but “well along in years,” they had probably carried an unfulfilled desire for a child for decades. For all we know, this couple was in their seventies or eighties, and had every reason to give up hope. Insert another cultural tidbit: Elizabeth’s barrenness was actually just cause for divorce in those days, but they stuck with it. They chose to stay the course, and both were called blameless in the sight of God.

God knows the desires of our hearts. We can’t change our circumstances, but it’s up to us what we do with them. We can shake our fist, blame the heavens and powers that be, or we can rest in the hands of a loving God and trust that He knows. That’s it! It’s not really very complicated. The God of the heavens understands and he has a plan for all this. It doesn't matter how long it takes. It doesn't really matter if I understand it all. His perfect will is well worth waiting for, and when He moves, it's going to blow your mind!

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (I Cor 13:12)

I hope that whatever you're going through today, you'll stay the course knowing, God understands. Say in your heart, Lord, give me the strength to endure the waits, and the wisdom to trust in your promises. Amen.