Read:
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lordʼs commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
~Luke 1:5-7 (NIV)
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
~Psalm 27:14
Consider:
The Christmas story is a beautiful story about the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah to the world. But the story begins with waiting. Zechariah and Elizabeth had no children and were both very old. They were still waiting for God to make them parents. Yet the Scriptures reveal that in their waiting they continued walking faithfully with God, obeying all of his commandments.
Is that how we live our lives? While we wait for God, do we continue to walk faithfully with him? Do we continue to pray for the things for which we are waiting?
James 5:16 tells us:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
I wonder if Elizabeth continued praying for a baby all of those years? I wonder if she surrounded herself with righteous women who prayed for her as well? The Bible doesn’t say, but God blessed her with not just a baby in her old age, but with a son whose purpose was to prepare the way for His son. This makes me think that Elizabeth never stopped praying for a baby. I believe God gave her such a great blessing because she spent a lifetime in patient waiting and faithful obedience, continuing to do God’s will.
At the start of this Christmas season, God reminds us to continue to do his will while we wait on Him. He reminds us to surround ourselves with righteous girlfriends to pray alongside us. God will always fulfill His promises~but it starts with us patiently waiting…
Breathe:
Breathe in His love…exhale all your struggles…
God’s love for you never changes. He longs to bless you just as he blessed Elizabeth. Patiently wait on Him knowing that at the right time, you too will receive the answer to your prayer.
Journal:
1. What is one prayer that you are waiting for God to answer?
2. How are you specifically living today with patient obedience while you wait for God to answer?
3. Who is praying with you about this specific situation?
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us today that often your answers to our prayers are not immediate. In fact, the answers may take years, like with Elizabeth. Help us live a life of patient obedience that brings honor and glory to You. We pray this in your Son’s precious name…Amen!
Comment:
Comment below with any prayer request you want your sisters in Christ to pray for you this week…