CHRISTmas Is Obedience - December 18 Readings: Luke 1:5-25

 

 

25 Days of Christmas

On the eighteenth day of Christmas, my Bible said to me...Zechariah showed faith by obeying God even when he couldn't understand what God was doing. 

Today's Reading: Luke 1:5-25            

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 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.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Through the Bible Readings: Habakkuk 1:1-2:5, Revelation 6–7, Psalm 144:1–4, Proverbs 30:32-33 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Trust and Obey      

"If you only have enough faith, God will do miracles!"

That's what we've been told - if only we can work up enough faith, enough confidence, if we confess it boldly enough, we can make it happen. We have made our feelings, our confidence, our "faith" the basis of God's work. But note here the response of Zechariah and consider how Mary will respond a few months later when the angel appears to her. They were both absolutely amazed, shocked. God had not been sending prophets to Israel, or angels, or speaking in any other way for 400 years. Now, all of a sudden the silence was broken when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah. Eventually, he would yield to the plan of God, but his response can hardly be described as a model of great faith, can it? 

Like Mary who said, "I am a virgin" (generally considered a hindrance to having a baby) he made the observation, "My wife is old." How can this be? That which God is revealing is outside the realm of human logic, reason, and experience. Virgins don't have babies. Childless couples past the childbearing years don't suddenly conceive. That is not how this world works. 

But it is how our God works. Faith is not pretending you don't have questions or doubts. Faith is obeying the plan of God in spite of your questions or doubts. Faith is not "positive thinking" or positive confession, it is obedience even when the word of God makes no sense to you. The work of God is well beyond our limited ability to understand. God knows our hearts, our doubts, our weaknesses, and he continues to work in us despite them. He worked in Zechariah despite his doubting. He continued in Mary despite her doubting.

He worked in them because they demonstrated faith through obedience. Mary said, "be it unto me as you have said." Zechariah, after a few gulping moments, obeyed God and did exactly what God commanded him to do. Obedience - that is how faith is expressed! It's not bravado, or some kind of self-delusion, denying your doubt. Faith is obeying God even when you don't understand him and you cannot see how it can possibly work out. Many of God's great servants had serious doubts and questions about what God was doing, but they walked in obedience and kept doing what God led them to do even when it got hard. So God blessed them and worked him powerful purposes through them.

Father, may I be a man of obedience, even when I doubt, when I don't understand, when my heart cries out. May I continue to walk in your ways as you lead me and guide me.

Think and Pray :

Remember that things depend more on the power of God than the force of your faith - it is not about how much you believe, but in whom you put your trust.
Thank God for his faithfulness and care for you, even when you doubt and struggle!

Carol of the Day: 

O Come All Ye Faithful

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

O Sing, choirs of angels,

Sing in exultation,

Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.

Give to our Father glory in the Highest;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,

Born this happy morning,

O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.