- Zacharias was a priest and his wife was Elizabeth.
- "Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.”(Luke 1:6)
- Here they both were, following God, doing the work of God and blameless before Him and yet there was a problem.
- She was barren.
- She could not have children and they were old…beyond the age of 60.
- It would seem as though God had judged them or that they had done something wrong.
- Maybe they thought that God had decided that they didn’t deserve a child.
- Have you ever felt like God hasn’t seen your problem?
- Have you ever felt like God doesn’t know or care what you are going through down here because He has so much to do everywhere else?
- Well that certainly is not the case, in this story or in your life.
- Always remember that Gods ways and thoughts are nothing like our ways and thoughts.
- In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
- Gods thoughts are higher than ours, His way is better and His timing is perfect.
- God hadn’t forgotten Zacharias and Elizabeth, He just had a different plan, which was a much better plan!
- Just like God’s plan for you far exceeds the plan that you have for yourself.
- Always look to God.
- Ask Him what He is doing.
- Join Him in what He is doing, don’t ask Him to join you in what you are doing.
- You see, when you take a step back, its very easy to see that God’s plan far exceeded Zacharias & Elizabeth’s plan…
- When they were in the middle of it, it’s was very difficult for them to understand.
- But when you take a step back, you see that God was waiting on the perfect timing to give them the perfect son.
- All of Zacharias’ life, God was communicating a message.
- It was a message that you don’t understand until you look at the story from the end.
- Zacharias’ name means, “The Lord Remembers”
- Elizabeth’s name means, “The oath of God”
- And the son that they were to have, who’s name was given by the Lord, means, “God has graciously given.”
- Put all of this together and their names says, “The Lord remembers His oath by graciously giving John.”
- God hadn’t forgotten…It was the exact opposite.
- God is so into the details that their very names spoke of His care and His plan.
- And he was just waiting to put the final piece of the puzzle in place by giving them John, the one who would prepare the way of the Lord!
- Do you think that God sees them as any more significant than you?
- Definitely not!
- Do you know what James 1:8 says about you?
- It says, "He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
- Today, God says that you are His prized possession.
- You are just as valuable and He is just as involved in the little details of your life.
- God hasn’t forgotten about you, He is just working out something far greater than you could imagine.
- Trust Him with your life today!
- He is in the details!
- God bless you, Have a great Thursday!