Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this Child has been conceived in her. She will bear a Son and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:20-21
Meditation:
Sit in a quiet place and ponder the angel's message to Joseph. Enter into the scene. Joseph was a righteous man. Imagine how he felt when he found out that Mary, his betrothed, was with child. He did not want to expose Mary but decided he would divorce her quietly. Then, in his dream, the angel of the Lord told him Mary's child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph responded with complete trust. When he awoke from his dream, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary into his home. As you sit quietly, ponder Joseph's trust and ask him to help you trust the way he did. When the angel appeared in his dream, calling Joseph, by name, the angel's first words were, "Do not be afraid." When you are faced with a situation that you do not understand, ask Joseph to be with you. Ask him to help you trust in the Lord the way he did.
Now let us ponder the angel's message to Zechariah and enter into the scene. Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and never had a child. Imagine how he felt when the angel of the Lord told him his wife would bear him a son. Zechariah's response was fear and lack of trust. Ask the Lord to show you the ways you have responded with fear and lack of trust.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled at what he saw and fear came upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. Luke 1:11-13
Then how shall I know this for I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years and the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel who stand before God." I was sent to speak to you and to announce this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their proper time. Luke 1:18-20
It may seem as though Zechariah was being punished because of his fear and lack of trust but it was actually a grace that Zachariah was made speechless. We have to be quiet to hear the Lord. God spoke to Zechariah in the silence. Months later, when Elizabeth gave birth to a son, Zechariah wrote on a tablet, "John is his name."
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed and he spoke blessing God. Luke 1:64
God blessed Zechariah by making him silent so he could increase his faith and trust in Him. Let us call upon Joseph and Zechariah to help us when we are afraid and always remember that God is with us. God is with us when we respond in trust and He is with us when we respond in fear. He meets us wherever we are.
The Mighty One has done great things for me and Holy is His Name. Luke 1:49
No comments:
Post a Comment