2023 Advent Devotional - Luke 1:8-17 (Day 14)

Luke 1: 8-17 “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. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

How comforting it must have felt for Zechariah to hear the words “your prayer has been heard”. After being so diligent and faithful to the Lord and feeling like your prayers may never be answered to hear those words must have been absolutely freeing. Do you have the patience and the fortitude to stand firm in your belief and hold strong to your convictions like Zechariah did?

I know as a mother, I am constantly telling my children to be patient and wait. We will get to do that soon or “I told you we would, so eat your dinner and be patient”. As I break apart this verse and think about all the dynamics going on and I wonder if I am acting that way in God’s eyes. Does he see me as an impatient child that is so excited for the reward at the end that I do not enjoy the journey? I am reminded that God is always faithful to his promises and only He knows the timing, so remain patient and faithful for He will guide us. I often pray for patience and generally it feels like I am met with more chaos, but through that I can discern that maybe God is teaching me patience through this. It isn’t that He is not answering my prayers but offering me a way to learn and grow. To develop more patience to prepare me for when my children are teenagers.

What an amazing verse “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,”.

The angel is talking about Jesus and how John will prepare the people for his coming. John’s life was dedicated to making sure that people knew about the coming of Jesus and that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the beauty of the Bible. We are blessed with the opportunity to see how all of these different events and miracles come together to point us towards God. We get to experience the depth or His plan and His sheer dedication to our salvation through the gift of His only begotten son Jesus. We all have a purpose in life and are specifically designed, remember to take time to listen and remain patient, for God has a plan. Are you listening for His guidance or marching to the beat of your own drum?

Lord, please guide us and help us to follow in the plan you have laid for us. Continue to help teach patience and consistency. Thank you for sending Jesus as our savior, even in our fallen nature. Watch over us and our children as we continue to grow closer to you. In your name we pray. Amen - By Regina Werdehausen