Reflections from Donald & Melissa
Transcript:
Hello, we are Donald and Melissa Richardson. For this Advent devotion, we are focusing on the portion of Scripture that describes an important event before the promise of Christ's birth. Luke 1:18-25 describes this wonderful event.
“Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.' The angel said to him, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.' And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them, but remained unanswered. He was unable to speak when his time of service was completed. He returned home after this. His wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ‘The Lord has done this for me,’ she said, ‘In these days, he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.’”
What if you were chosen to be a significant figure before the Savior was born? We would be like Zechariah and Elizabeth– startled! But I also hope that we would be like them and embrace what they knew: that nothing was too hard for God. God himself said in Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?” Because nothing is too hard for God. He would never ask us to do anything unbelievable to our natural senses without total grace from him. This is why Zechariah and Elizabeth could embrace that even their old age was not a barrier to God. He chose them anyway to give birth to John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus. With God's grace, we as his followers and the forerunners to Jesus' return, can be assured of God's grace to give us what is needed to carry the good news to the world that is lost, that Jesus came to give salvation, and he will return. Let us pray. Lord, in accordance with your plan, encourage your people to accept and do your will. Amen.