It is the first Monday in Advent.
Psalm 39:7
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
Perhaps nothing is more difficult to some - myself included - than to wait. I have a less than patient attitude when it comes to waiting. I don't know of anyone who enjoys sitting and waiting. Waiting is that time when we realize we are not where we want to be and we do not like the space or place that we are now in. I have waited many times. Waiting happens in an examination room, or worse, a hospital room, for what is next. Waiting at the airport for love ones to arrive is a daily scene at airports. Waiting for almost anything is tough on us. Even waiting for God in our Prayers is not easy.
I find it interesting that as the Gospel of Luke begins the story of the first Advent, all of the people in the Gospel are waiting.
Zechariah is waiting...and he's been praying for a child to be born to him.
Elizabeth is waiting...and she's also been praying for this child also.
Luke 1:5-7
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.
How long had they prayed? How long had they been waiting? I've witnessed this in couples even today. The hope of having children is lived out in waiting...discouraged and afraid. The problem of waiting and unanswered prayer is that it often produces fearful people. In fact, the more afraid we are the more difficult waiting becomes.
As these two wait, praying, hoping, Zechariah is also doing. He is a priest and he's doing what he's called to do - his duties in the temple. The scripture tells us that it was while he was faithfully doing, that God met him in his waiting.
Luke 1:8-13
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.
In faithful doing while waiting...the words the Angel Gabriel spoke should resonate in our souls: "Do Not Be Afraid, Zechariah, your prayers have been heard..."
The echo of the ancient Psalm breaks into our waiting.
Psalm 130:5
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
Psalm 39:7
7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
Perhaps nothing is more difficult to some - myself included - than to wait. I have a less than patient attitude when it comes to waiting. I don't know of anyone who enjoys sitting and waiting. Waiting is that time when we realize we are not where we want to be and we do not like the space or place that we are now in. I have waited many times. Waiting happens in an examination room, or worse, a hospital room, for what is next. Waiting at the airport for love ones to arrive is a daily scene at airports. Waiting for almost anything is tough on us. Even waiting for God in our Prayers is not easy.
I find it interesting that as the Gospel of Luke begins the story of the first Advent, all of the people in the Gospel are waiting.
Zechariah is waiting...and he's been praying for a child to be born to him.
Elizabeth is waiting...and she's also been praying for this child also.
Luke 1:5-7
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.
How long had they prayed? How long had they been waiting? I've witnessed this in couples even today. The hope of having children is lived out in waiting...discouraged and afraid. The problem of waiting and unanswered prayer is that it often produces fearful people. In fact, the more afraid we are the more difficult waiting becomes.
As these two wait, praying, hoping, Zechariah is also doing. He is a priest and he's doing what he's called to do - his duties in the temple. The scripture tells us that it was while he was faithfully doing, that God met him in his waiting.
Luke 1:8-13
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.
In faithful doing while waiting...the words the Angel Gabriel spoke should resonate in our souls: "Do Not Be Afraid, Zechariah, your prayers have been heard..."
The echo of the ancient Psalm breaks into our waiting.
Psalm 130:5
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
Waiting always involves the hope of the Promise. For Israel it was the Messiah. For the loved one at the airport it is their face as they walk through the doors and you know they have safely arrived. In the doctor's office waiting challenges our faith. In a diagnosis, waiting can make everything else in life seem to disappear.
Yet this waiting is - as Zechariah reminds me - active, never passive. The secret of our waiting for God is that we have one who knows us, loves us, and has a purpose for us that can never be taken from us...our waiting is always on purpose, because we have one who has purposed us.
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