“Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard.”

A thought by Various Authors (2010-02-23) from the Holy Bible (NIrV) for Adults (Kindle Locations 66388-66389). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I am reading through the accounts in the New Testament of the Bible of the birth of Jesus and I came across this line in the first chapter of Luke. And I found this line a little interesting. Now I do know the story but I still find this fact interesting.

Now Zechariah is an older priest and an angel comes to him and said this statement. Of course I probably would be afraid if I saw an angel but excited that God had heard my prayer and was going to answer it. It seems that Zechariah had been praying since he was young for a child and now the angel says it is going to happen and he is afraid.

I know it was something he really wanted but with it not happening and he and his wife getting older he may have been praying just because he had always done it. He had gotten to the place that he was sure that it wasn’t going to happen but here it is and the fact that there was going to be a baby around made him stop and think, maybe this isn’t a good thing. It was a very good thing but it caught him off guard.

Of course Joseph, the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus had a lot to be afraid of being the earthly father of the Son of God. But Zechariah was getting what he had prayed for and he was afraid.

I’m sure every parent had a feeling of excitement but also some fear when they found out that they were going to be a parent. It is such a major responsibility but also a tremendous priviledge. I remember the night our son Brett, our first child was born and the drive I had from the hospital to our home and the time of earnest prayer I had. It was an emotional time that drive but it was also the beginning of one of the most fulfilling tasks that I have had, the task to be a parent and now a grandparent. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything but it also had some anxiety attached to it.

I am so glad that I had a relationship with God to help me to guide me to nurture me to encourage me. I would never want that responsibility without Him. He has made all the difference.

So what prayer are your praying today?

Comments

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog