Closer to Him: Daily Devotions for Deeper Faith

THURSDAY, 19 DECEMBER 2024

TEXT: LUKE 1:6-25

6: Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

7: But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8: Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

9: he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10: And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11: Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12: When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

13: But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.

14: He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,

15: for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

16: He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

17: And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18: Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19: The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

20: And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21: Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple.

22: When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23: When his time of service was completed, he returned home.

24: After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

25: “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: THOUGHT REFLECTION: GOD'S TIME IS ALWAYS THE BEST

The story of Zachariah and Elizabeth always brings hope and encouragements to the hearts of many.

It is a bold declaration that our God can do much more than we can ever imagine.

This family of faithful priests had committed itself to the service of God but was without a child.

You can imagine the kind of ridicule they were exposed to by the people of the world after giving their lives to serving the Lord. But when God's time for them came, He visited them in an extra ordinary way.

The process God used shocked not only Zachariah and his wife but everyone who saw and heard their story.

We must never lose sight of the fact that God preserves people to use them at His own appointed time.

QUESTION: How do you feel each time God seems to be delaying in responding to your needs?

PRAYER: Dear Father, please use me for Your glory and help me to wait patiently for the time You have set to manifest Your wonders through me, in Jesus name. Amen.