Something amazing happens when we’ve been waiting for so long in silence and that silence is suddenly broken with an answer to prayer or even the tiniest glimpse of hope from God. Yesterday we got a peek into the first words that broke the four hundred years of silence. Just four simple words: “Do not be afraid!”. Can you imagine the shock and fear Zechariah must have felt after hearing no word from the Lord to his people for four hundred years and suddenly he is face-to-face with an angel?
Remember: Luke 1:13-17
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. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 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. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 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.” - Luke 1:13-17
Does verse 17 ring a bell? This was the one Malachi was prophesying about!! This was the spirit of Elijah that was promised four hundred years prior!! He is basically quoting Malachi 4:5-6. It’s happening! Hope has come! The silence is shattering!
Reflect
I can’t help but notice how God’s plan of redemption is wrapped up in Zechariah and Elizabeth’s answer to their personal prayer for a child. God is working bigger things that sometimes include smaller things. His joy is aimed at the nations, but his heart is targeted on individuals. In your pain and waiting today, reflect on the truth that your answer to prayer is wrapped up in bigger answers to prayer that include God’s greatest joy of seeing people enfolded into his family.
You would think someone that has waited this long for something would jump for joy and praise God. But sometimes in the silence, we forget how to hope, we can get a little cynical. Tomorrow we will learn to listen for the sound that has the potential to shatter our faith.
Respond
Carry this breath prayer in your heart today:
Breathe In:
My prayers are intertwined with your heart
Breathe Out:
Help me trust your heart for me.
The Journey
This journey will take us through December 25th. My hope is that it would bring you encouragement in whatever waiting room you find yourself in during this Advent season. Each daily podcast will be short and sweet, leaving you with something to carry in your heart as you wait. You can also subscribe to my newsletter here.
