MONDAY November 29, 2021
Broken Silence
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Zacharias], standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”
Luke 1:11-13
God had not spoken in 400 years. The Word of the Lord had not been heard among His people. Zacharias, a dedicated priest, performed his regular duties of burning incense in the inner chamber of the temple (Luke 1:8-10). The people prayed outside, but the priest took such a long time, and they began to marvel. What was taking him so long? When Zacharias came out of the temple, he could not speak. The people supposed he had seen a vision in the temple. Zacharias gestured to the astonished people, but he remained speechless (Luke 1:21-22).
What had Zacharias seen? The angel Gabriel had come to give Zacharias a message from the Lord. Imagine, at that very moment, 400 years of silence was broken! The angel Gabriel told Zacharias that God had heard his prayer. A miracle would happen. His wife Elizabeth, who was well beyond the age of childbearing, would become pregnant and have a child. Zacharias was instructed by the angel to name his son John.
As Elizabeth and Zacharias obediently walked in all the Lord’s commandments, and continued to serve Him faithfully, God’s plans and purposes were being fulfilled in their lives. Not only were they chosen to become the parents of John the Baptist, they would hold a special part in the story of the Savior’s birth, as John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin.
God has a purpose and a plan for each of our lives. As we walk in obedience to God’s Word, His plans will naturally unfold in our lives.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11~
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