Key Text: Luke 1: 5-25, 57-80
Additional Reading: Romans 8: 18; Ephesians 3: 20; Job 42: 2
In last week’s entry, Mary’s passionate hope after the unexpected visit from the angel Gabriel encouraged our faith. She was granted a promise that she did not pray for, believed in God’s Word and honourably fulfilled her role in God’s plan to redeem us. Her belief was anchored in what she had heard throughout her life about God’s promise to send a Saviour.
There are promises from God such as the one Mary received about being the mother of Jesus, which completely surprise us. There are others which we encounter as we seek God, but nonetheless treasure as we trust the Source. There are numerous reminders of God’s ability and promises to do the impossible when we believe and align our prayers to His will. He can be trusted to keep His promise to be with us (Isaiah 41:10), supply our needs (Philippians 4:19) and respond to prayers of faith and repentance (2 Chronicles 7: 24; John 15: 7-8; Deuteronomy 7: 9; 1 Peter 5: 10; Mark 5: 24-34). This is why it may be challenging to sustain hope amidst disappointment; we know that we serve a God with unlimited resources and though we know He promised to never leave or forsake us, I am sure you will agree that sometimes, it seems quite the opposite when we do not see the promises.
In the key text, Zechariah and Elizabeth were advanced in years and had endured the disappointment of not conceiving. They were undoubtedly seen as failures in their society, as it was the custom to consider barrenness a sign of not having God’s blessings. The text does not explicitly state whether they had lost hope at some point in their journey of believing for a child, but they were human, and I presume at times it was a challenge to maintain hope. Whether they accepted it as their fate or continued to seek God for a child is unclear, but it is clear that they still maintained hope in God. How do we know? Zechariah was a faithful priest and Elizabeth was equally devout. He was on duty in the temple (on the day that the angel appeared) to burn incense which would signal to the crowds that it was an appropriate time to pray – he continued to trust in who God is and served his priestly duties. Zechariah’s faithfulness was not determined by whether God granted his wish. Whilst on duty and perhaps in the middle of a prayer, the Lord’s angel appeared and revealed that God’s plans for humanity would be set in motion and also shared the details about his answered prayer. After long years of waiting for God’s answer, not only did Zechariah receive an answer in the affirmative, but He got specific details: the child’s name, his purpose and the life he was ordained to live. That is miraculous!
It is therefore slightly contradictory that after receiving such good news, Zechariah was somewhat doubtful and expressed this verbally: he reaffirmed the couple’s limitations and forgot that God could do the impossible. It would be an unfair assumption to say he had no hope in God’s promises being fulfilled because the angel actually began by saying his prayer had been answered – it does take some hope to even begin to pray (Romans 8: 24-25; Micah 7: 7). Whether it was a recent prayer or the recurring one he had prayed during his seasons of waiting, he had enough hope to take his request to God. His faith is admirable and spurs us even today. Nonetheless, as a result of his doubtfulness, the angel declared that he would not speak until the child’s birth. From this interaction, it seems essential to align our speech with God’s promises even amidst dubiousness about them. God understood Zechariah’s humanity and made allowances for that – he would receive the promise, but could not interfere with it through scepticism. I understand why Good silenced him, and I understand Zechariah’s language, as he had been disappointed repeatedly through decades of waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.
This is why God’s mercy despite our wavering hope is profound. John – Jesus’ forerunner, was chosen by God to be raised by Zechariah and Elizabeth. This is no ordinary occurrence; God works with intentionality (Jeremiah 1: 5) and His plans cannot be thwarted. Though he chose earthy parents for John who he knew would struggle with hope when the odds were against them, He still chose them. Though Zechariah’s doubtful words could have potentially impeded his promise, God chose him to not only father a son, but a son who would devote his life to helping others to draw closer to God and prepare for His first coming.
Sometimes the magnitude of heavenly promises are overwhelming. Sometimes it is difficult to hope after praying fervently for a long time, yet face disappointment. Sometimes even when it seems our prayers may be answered we wonder whether such opulent blessings are possible. Sometimes we are just as guilty as Zechariah of having unstable hope. I do not advocate that we now accept this as our norm, but that like him, we clutch hope, (even if it only hangs by a thread) when the promises of God defy human logic. Zechariah doubted for a while, but he did not lose hope in God’s character. How do we know? During the prolonged silent period (when he could not speak), God renewed his hope; he had enough grace and opportunities to realise the significance of God’s promise. When his words about God’s promise were in agreement with Him, he regained his speech. On saying his first words after losing his speech: ‘His name is John!’ to his relatives and friends, Zechariah graduated from the doubtful questions he asked the angel, to statements echoing unrelenting faith in God’s promise. All onlookers by that point could tell that John’s life would be significant, and in response, Zechariah replied with praise and prophesies; God had honoured His Word over generations to His people and his child would be a prophet.
Could the promises we believe for need much more time than anticipated because God wants us to wait until their fulfilment will have more impact for His kingdom? Could the wait be God’s way of preparing us for the sheer magnitude of the responsibility that comes with unique promises such as the ones spoken over our lives? Could it be that God has something better for us than what we envisioned when we believed His promises? Could those who criticise and mock as you wait for the promise be in for a surprise? I have no definite answers for you besides the fact that we may never know if we lose hope.
God can do the impossible, regardless of the nature of the need or the age of the one waiting for the promise. The advent season causes us to reflect on the treasured promise of Jesus’ birth after several generations of waiting and the complexities often involved when promises seem delayed. Fellow pilgrim, God knows His plans for you and your moments of doubt will not change them. Clutch hope in Him as you navigate what feels like uncertainty and abandonment. Whether God performs what you desire or does something completely different for His glory, hope in Him along the journey. In Luke 1, Zechariah’s story started with a prayer and ironically included pain, ridicule and disappointment, but closed with praise, John fulfilling his purpose and above all – our ultimate hope: the birth of the promised Messiah. You may be somewhere along a similar journey; don’t forget that regardless of the outcome, if God is with you and your life is submitted to Him, He will take care of you and honour His Word. You may sincerely wonder whether it is worth hoping in a God you cannot see who makes promises that seem to take ages to be fulfilled: He understands your fears, and unlike people, He does not condemn you. Battling doubts as you believe for God’s promises may cause God to restrain you from using damaging words against your purpose as he did with Zechariah, but it does not mean He will disqualify you from His promises. God knows hearts which are genuinely committed to Him. Zechariah was one of the leading priests, yet he struggled with doubt; he did not always feel hopeful but God kept His promise to him.
His promises spoken about your life will not change, and like Zechariah, He sees your faithful hope despite its periods of vacillation. God is able to cause all that may be shaken to be disturbed, so that like Zechariah, the hope which cannot be shaken remains and is strengthened (Hebrews 12: 26-29). He will not hold a grudge against you, but will comfort, surprise, bless, instruct and stabilise you through any means necessary. If your faith has wavered like Zechariah, the God of hope is able to renew you.
As always, if all you can muster is a line, a minute or five minutes of prayer even if in your disappointment about the things you hoped for, go ahead – He hears. I’m praying for you too.
Heartfelt Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for having a relationship with me. That is a true gift. I know You are a promise keeper and that Your timing is often different to mine. I am sorry that I struggle to maintain hope at times – please forgive me. I cannot do it without You; please grant me the grace I need to hope when I feel disappointed and help me to remember that Your plans are superior to any outcome I could conjure. Thanks for Your support and guidance and your superior plans which You will reveal in Your time. Amen.
