It's Wednesday of the first week of Advent and this morning I remind myself that Advent always has to do with Waiting in Prayerful Hope for God to come. Two passages of Scripture to think about on this theme:
Galatians 4:4
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Luke 1:5-13
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
The Christmas story begins over a year before Jesus is born. It begins with an old priest and his wife - together defined by the words in vs 7, "they had no child...Elizabeth was barren...both were advanced in years.
I know married couples like this...never were able to conceive even though they wanted to. What did they do? What do we do when what we want so badly never seems to come? We pray...and pray...and pray.
It's a difficult thing to do - persevere in prayer, in hope, in expectation, in trust when nothing seems to happen.
Perhaps that's the key word in this: "Seems"... because the only vision we have in our prayers is from the ground up and we don't know what is going on in the heavenlies.
So, Zechariah is surprised...first by an Angel appearing to him - who wouldn't be? But then by the words... "Your prayers have been heard".
Isn't that what we all want to know? Our prayers have been heard. Isn't that what we all should believe? Yes it is...Lord, help my unbelief.
That first verse says it so well - In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son... That my friend is what we must always hang on to. God has a time for all things, and it is always different from our time, but it does not mean he does not hear, nor that he does not care, and definitely not that he will not answer.
Peace
Galatians 4:4
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
Luke 1:5-13
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,
9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
The Christmas story begins over a year before Jesus is born. It begins with an old priest and his wife - together defined by the words in vs 7, "they had no child...Elizabeth was barren...both were advanced in years.
I know married couples like this...never were able to conceive even though they wanted to. What did they do? What do we do when what we want so badly never seems to come? We pray...and pray...and pray.
It's a difficult thing to do - persevere in prayer, in hope, in expectation, in trust when nothing seems to happen.
Perhaps that's the key word in this: "Seems"... because the only vision we have in our prayers is from the ground up and we don't know what is going on in the heavenlies.
So, Zechariah is surprised...first by an Angel appearing to him - who wouldn't be? But then by the words... "Your prayers have been heard".
Isn't that what we all want to know? Our prayers have been heard. Isn't that what we all should believe? Yes it is...Lord, help my unbelief.
That first verse says it so well - In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son... That my friend is what we must always hang on to. God has a time for all things, and it is always different from our time, but it does not mean he does not hear, nor that he does not care, and definitely not that he will not answer.
Peace
Comments