“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,”
Luke 1:76-78 (NLT)
There is purpose for each of us in Christmas. Zachariah had served a lifetime as a faithful priest with Elizabeth his wife. They had surrendered their dreams of children and considered that their purpose and impact was complete. God knew differently because God’s plan was in place before time began. Just like yours.
Can you imagine, you’re an older couple moving into retirement, living out your last years and then Gabriel, the Angel of the Lord shows up and confirms that your lifetime dream of a child is happening. I love how Zachariah, a man of God for a lifetime, doubted to the point of laughing out loud, essentially mocking God’s plan then wham!, his voice is gone. His job was to speak, counsel, console, teach, lead…all through his voice now gone.
“Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Luke 1:18-20
Choose the joy of expectation this Christmas. Accept the anointing of God’s plans for your life. This broken World and the evil one who prowls wants to destroy the God-given dreams that lay within each of us. To crush hope. To marginalize your impact in this life. Say ‘no’ to the lies that really are on the margins of our life unless we allow them into life’s main, narrow road of impact. Elizabeth had certainly surrendered hope of a child and her husband laughed in the face of God’s emissary.
Then Elizabeth chose joy, expectation, acceptance at what Gabriel told her. Elizabeth chose the joy and hope that the Christ coming represented after 400 years of quiet. She chose to accept what could not be understood or explained. She chose to live expectantly. Humbly. Gratefully. She chose to accept that she was God’s vessel, created for this incredible, seminal moment in human history that explained the years and decades of desperation and sadness of being childless, all erased in a single moment. The single moment that the Legion’s in Heaven were anticipating and waiting to be released. Hope. Life. Connection. A new covenant. A direct pathway to God Almighty. Her son, would tell this news to the World. Accepting his role in the Christmas story. And he would be martyred for his blessed appointing.
“A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Luke 1:39-45
In this Christmas Season of significance, it is easy to feel insignificant. Can we agree that Elizabeth was tired of attending baby showers and Bat Mitzvah’s, celebrating her friends and likely her friends grandchildren’s events of significance? Elizabeth likely mourned that her counsel was not sought for mothering tips and she and Zachariah’s home bitterly quiet as families all around them celebrated holidays, with the sounds of children’s voices filling the air. There is little doubt that Elizabeth questioned her purpose for existence, but God didn’t! The plan was in place and God knew the heart of His faithful, and sad, daughter. And He rewarded her faithfulness.
If you’re struggling this Christmas Season, know that God sees your struggle. He knows your heart. He hears your prayers. He is awaiting the time when you are ready to walk into the calling on your life. “And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12 NLT) Listen carefully and expectantly for the gentle whisper of God’s anointing of significance on your life. Allow Him to define your significance. And you are significant to the only One who matters.
So this Christmas as things are loud and too many of us shout accolades about all we have done, all the impossible achievements that our kids and families have apparently accomplished as conveyed through the ‘updates’ about life, choose joy. Choose expectation. Choose the only affirmation that matters…our Father’s from Heaven who affirms our significance every Christmas by the gift of His son. He gave the most significant gift because of your immeasurable value to Him and His limitless love for you.
Choose Christmas