(This devo is a continuation of my previous post, “How To Ask God a Question”)
In spite of Zechariah’s unbelief, God still kept His promise to him. Gabriel’s pronouncement to the elderly priest, even after his unabashed articulation of doubt, was “My words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time” (Luke 1:20b, NLT). Sure enough, around nine months later, Zechariah was holding a miracle baby in his previously empty arms. His very own son!
I find this extremely encouraging. Even when you and I fall short of trusting our loving Daddy as He deserves to be trusted, He never breaks His word. He always keeps His promises, whether we are full of faith as Mary was, or tossed to and fro by disbelief as Zechariah.
When fulfillment time came, aging Zechariah and teenage Mary suddenly had a whole lot in common. They both were overflowing with joy! Listen to the praise for God that burst forth from each one:
Exhibit A: “And Mary said, ‘He who is mighty has done great things for me… He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’” (Luke 1:46a, 49, 54-55, bold emphasis mine).
Exhibit B: “Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help… He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant – the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:67-73, NET, bold emphasis mine).
Again, these passages are just a few verses apart. The parallelism continues. The contrast in Zechariah and Mary’s stories serves to illustrate God’s expansive, unconditional faithfulness. In the end, whether or not we have fully believed God’s word to us, He always brings it to fulfillment!
Doubting Zechariah and trusting Mary both learned, firsthand, that the Mighty One is a covenant-keeping God. He never forgets a promise He makes. Ever. This is one of the most essential themes running through the Christmas story. The eternal Word of the Father stepped out of heaven and into human skin, to fulfill His covenant oath to His children. God swore, and God delivered. This is how it goes with our God, because this is who He is.
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Is there ever an instance where our own failings or weaknesses could cause God’s promises not to come to pass, if our hearts are truly after Him?
Feeding On Jesus 
Another great insight here Jennifer. Love how you breakdown the response dynamics of Zacharias (doubting) & Mary (trusting) to the impossible situations God set before each of them.
This Gospel account showed me something also. You can call it the difference between signs & solutions.
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
Luke 1:18 KJV
“Whereby shall I know this?” – Zacharias was looking for a sign.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luke 1:34 KJV
“How shall this be….” – Mary was looking for a solution.
There is a big difference between looking for a sign from God and looking for a solution from God when facing impossible situations in life The Lord honored Mary’s response to the impossible over Zacharias’.
But as you point out, He faithfully delivered in each situation.
Blessings!
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I love your thoughts on this too, David! That fits so well. Looking for a solution refects faith and confidence in God, whereas looking for a sign can reflect doubt. Thank you so much 🙂
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I love that verse in 2 Timothy 2:13, but I think I love it in the ESV more because it reminds us that our flesh has already died on the Cross and that when God looks at us, He sees His Son:
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
May we ever glorify – not man – but our almighty God’s love and grace for each and every one of us. All goodness that flows from us in fact only originates from our God in the first place- as did Mary’s trusting heart (as I am sure she will one day tell us personally).
Through my Prodigal journey God has put me in the midst of people who have suffered so so much, where I am seeing He is so not like us. He sees to the heart of those He has created. I am watching Him redeem so much that just leaves me weeping over and over again. We in the church truly have no idea of all the trauma, the abuse and deep pain that has been inflicted upon children of our most High God. But our God has not forgotten even one of His lost sheep and He’s going out to find them and carry them home, close to His heart. My experience of trauma and spiritual abuse is nothing compared to what so many have walked through in the Name of our God. But oh how He sees His own.
I read this today and it so made me think of things you’ve been sharing on prayer, Jennifer (The Prayer Life Persevering in Prayer, by Andrew Murray, p.25):
“Redemption is not granted to us a little at a time, or as something of which we may make use from time to time. It is given as fullness of grace stored up in the Lord Jesus, which may be enjoyed in new fellowship with Him every day. It is so necessary that this great truth should be driven home and fastened in our minds that I will mention it once more. Nothing can preserve you from carelessness or make it possible for you to continue in living, powerful prayer except a daily close fellowship with Jesus our Lord.”
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Aw I love that quote! I totally get where it reminds you of what I’ve been sharing from my heart on prayer. Beauitful, absolutely vital truth! And may the Father continue to woo and heal and restore those deeply broken ones. I am surrounded by them here in Peru.
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Amen! I am watching Him do it, as He continues to woo, heal and restore my own heart in their midst. It’s truly amazing to me how He opens up opportunities to share of what He’s done and is doing in and through me, when and where I least expect it (yesterday again).
The grace I am praying through this week is: “LORD let me recognize Your extravagant goodness in my life.” It’s funny because the more He is opening my eyes to see His goodness present throughout my own life and my loved ones’ lives, the more I am sharing of it with others and the more their hearts are opening to share with me. I am being given the gift of recognizing Jesus at work in the lives of those around me through their own life stories and their parents’ too (before they even recognize that it is Jesus who is the One who is healing and restoring them and their families – just as I didn’t see He was doing that with me throughout those 20+ years as a lost sheep: He was carrying, surrounding, leading, awaking, guiding and loving on me through my blindness. It makes me think of Jesus blinding Saul with His light to heal him too).
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That’s so good, Anna! Amen and amen, may He give us all eyes to see and recognize what He is doing in and through us and in the world all around us.. Truly, He never stops working!
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In answer to your question, I would say no, since if our hearts remain with Him, He will help us overcome our own shortcomings and make happen whatever God has in mind.
A Catholic aside: the testimonies of Zechariah and Mary are centerpieces of daily Catholic prayer, and deservedly so.
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Amen and amen. It’s awe-inspiring how He can override our weaknesses with His goodness and faithfulness! And wow, what a powerful way to pray every day. Thank you for sharing that, Mike 🙂
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