“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

“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...

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog