awaiting miracles

It’s unfortunate that the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah is generally only read or retold at Christmas time. Situated at the beginning of the Nativity narrative (in the book of Luke), this older, married couple seems to have been going about their everyday activities, working, eating, sleeping (you know the routine), when one day everything changes. Work is no longer the same, home life is different, and everything seems to be about isolation.

I’m still on the biblical story, by the way, but it fits so well with what is going on in our world right now.

Zechariah, whose task was to work in the Temple of Solomon to burn incense, was a ‘righteous man in God’s sight, living without blame according to the commands and requirements of God.’ (Luke 1:6)

For all intents and purposes, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, should have been the first in line to have their prayers answered. Their faithfulness would be rivalled by only a few and yet, God had not answered ‘yes’ to their prayers.

They had always wanted to be parents.

Now that they were aged, they had (probably) stopped praying the prayer of a future parent and settled into their new norm.

But one unexpected day, while Zechariah was doing his normal routine, an angel showed up in the Temple and told Zechariah that finally, FINALLY, they would be parents in their old age.

God interrupted the routine of their normal, everyday life to bring about new life. I’m sure that both Zechariah and Elizabeth had a general sense that life would not be easy as older parents, but with great joy comes great responsibility.

Zechariah was speechless – or at least as Luke writes that his ability to communicate verbally was taken away – and Elizabeth, once pregnant, ‘kept herself in seclusion for five months’ (Luke 1:24) so that the promise would continue to grow.

Perhaps in these times your everyday routine has been interrupted. Maybe you’re wondering how God could actually work good into these moments. Maybe you’re feeling anxious that everything has been changed; or speechless because the old reality is fading into the distance. Maybe you are feeling isolated or secluded. In any case, this may be the moment … that God has been planning something very special for you and those around you. The future is pregnant with possibilities and this current isolation may, in fact, bring about something beautiful.

God bless you as you wait for miracles!

Pastor Reid