READY:
“’How can I know this?’ Zechariah asked the angel. ‘For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.’” – Luc 1:18-20
SET:
Competition is full of underdogs and unlikely comebacks. So is the Bible. The odds were stacked against Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. They were both very old and Elizabeth couldn’t have children. Zechariah was a serving as a priest in the temple when God sent an angel to appear to him and tell him that they would soon have a son and they were to call him John. Their son would go before Jesus to prepare the way for Him; to prepare the hearts of those whom Jesus would preach to. The problem for Zechariah was that a literal angel of God was before him, telling him what would soon take place, but Zechariah couldn’t shake his unbelief to see the ability of God.
The comparison here is Zechariah’s unbelief: “I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years,” and the angel’s assurance: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.” There is NO comparison when you line them up like that. Yes, Zechariah and Elizabeth had their limits, but God’s plan for their lives would take them past their limits. He is a limitless God. We must make the decision to believe in His ability over our disbelief.
How did this end for our underdog, Zechariah? He sat in his unbelief and just like us in our lives, there was a price. God didn’t take His promise back from Zechariah, he did have a son named John who did prepare the way for Jesus and His earthly ministry. But his disbelief was costly. Luke 1:20 lays out the cost – silence from Zechariah until all the things the angel said would happen happened.
Zechariah was an underdog who gave in to his unbelief and paid for it. We don’t have to walk that path. Our unbelief in God’s ability doesn’t change His ability in our lives. The sooner we embrace that truth the better.
GO:
What is your comparison? (Your unbelief vs. God’s ability)
What action will you take today to trust God’s Word over your unbelief?
WORKOUT:
OVERTIME:
“Dear Heavenly Father, may I not limit myself when Your Word speaks truth over me in the impossible places of my life. Please help me to trust You and surrender my impossible things and watch You bear fruit out of them. In Jesus’ name, amen.”