Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this?”
Luke 1:18 MSG
Do you have a hard time believing what God’s Word says to you?
Imagine seeing an angel and still being incredulous. That’s what happened to a priest in the Temple. His once-in-a-lifetime turn sent him into the altar room to offer incense. An angel appeared and talked to Zachariah. The Message says, “Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.”
He caved to unbelief.
This was a guy who spent his whole life preparing to serve. Verse 6 says Zach was blameless and upright, so what soured his attitude? He wasn’t new to the faith or unschooled about God’s power. He sat under the greats learning about the wonders God performed to free their people in Egypt and how Elijah was transported to heaven. He knew about the powerful flood and the six days of creation. What was the sticking point? “I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.” Luke 1:18 MSG
What does age have to do with God’s ability to bring a baby into the world? That baby, John the Baptist, was sent to prepare hearts for the Savior to come. Zach’s disbelief came at a huge cost. He had laryngitis for nine months.
Exercise:
1. Read the full story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25. What observations do you make about his response to Gabriel. Look up different versions to find other clues.
What is the difference between disbelief, like Zach, and questioning, like Mary (Luke 1:34)?
2. Come with expectation. In Luke 1:8-12, Zach was startled. He wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. When you sit down to write, do you expect God to show up and enlighten your thought process?
How can you approach your writing time as an act of worship to the Author of words?
3. Know you have been heard. Luke 1:13 gives a sigh of relief to years of praying for a baby. How often did Zach and Liz think God had forgotten them? How do you pray for your WIP? How will you respond when God answers?
4. Take joy and delight in the message. In Luke 1:14, Gabriel says there will be much celebrating. How will you start a party over your book baby? How will your words point to the Messiah and prepare hearts for His second coming?
At what cost do you hold onto unbelief?
Has your pen stilled? Break the silence to proclaim the Good News!
Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.
Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.
Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.
Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net
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