Luke 1:18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

I have heard various discussions as to the difference between Zechariah’s response to Gabriel and Mary’s (which will come up in tomorrow’s reading). To me, the Japanese makes it a little clearer. In the first place, Zechariah was explicitly looking at himself and his circumstances, his abilities, if you will. That’s never the best idea. We aren’t to ignore our circumstances, but we should always remember that God is far greater and more powerful than anything we face. I wonder if he was dealing with ED? He wanted proof so that he could know that what Gabriel had said was true, rather than choosing to believe an angel of the Lord. It is to me rather deliciously ironic that in response, Gabriel gave him an inability, the inability to speak, as proof of God’s ability. We often bring all sorts of unnecessary problems on ourselves by failing to believe and trust God. Gabriel’s proof to Zechariah was gentle and temporary, all things considered, but we sometimes incur pretty big loss by our failure to believe. We run into all sorts of difficulties in this life, just as Jesus said we would, (John 16:33) but our response to them makes all the difference in the world. We’ve got to remember that God is God, the Creator who spoke the universe into being, and nothing is too difficult for Him. Our approach to problems should always be one of anticipation to see how God is going to overcome them. He will never allow anything in our lives that He can’t use for good, if we will surrender it to Him in faith. (Romans 8:28)

I couldn’t begin to count how many times I’ve experienced this. I haven’t had the Lord tell me anything nearly as dramatic as what Gabriel told Zechariah, but I have seen how God has used my mistakes, my sins, even, and turned them around for good. Only He could do that! My life has been, and continues to be, a testimony to God’s grace. I have been given gifts and abilities that I have used, and some that I have squandered. And don’t get me started on opportunities! It is remarkable to me that it’s taken me this long to recognize some of this stuff. God is absolutely good, and He is absolutely faithful to fulfill His promises. I just need to keep growing in learning to trust Him to be true to Himself.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I be more and more like Mary and less and less like Zechariah, so that in active faith I may flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!