During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord's commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old. One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense. All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. The angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth, or he will be great in the Lord's eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God. He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
Waiting seems like a lost skill in our hurry-up, instant gratification world. Sometimes I get impatient if I have to wait 3 or 5 seconds for my interent to connect. I am sending a signal to a satellite, to multiple servers around the country or world and it is coming back to me...in seconds...yet I chafe at the wait. Waiting in line during this busy holiday shopping season, waiting in traffic, waiting for the "big day" to come or to finally be over - we should be good at waiting but we are not.
Some of us may be praying or waiting for a miracle to change our lives, as Zechariah and Elizabeth waited for the gift of a child, as Mary waited for the fulfillment of promise in her son. In the process of waiting, we may receive a greater gift...the "gift of endurance." God does not promise to send us miracles to overcome all the troubles we may face. He does make this promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
During my husband's treatment for tonsil cancer (he is fine now) this little haiku poem became my daily mantra and carried me through the waiting:
Grace
God's Grace is present,
Sufficient for every need-
A bottomless well.
God's Grace is enough
If we believe it is so
To carry us through.
Reflection Questions for Wednesday, Week Two
- Take time for quiet reflection. Respond to the questions below by writing in your journal or quietly reflecting.
- What are your physical responses to waiting? Do you feel annoyed? angry? a tightness in your chest? a headache? exhaustion? Envision that God is present with you in the waiting, and release and relax your physical body.
- Picture again the time line of your life. Have you gone through weeks, months, or years when God seemed silent? Where was God? Why couldn't you hear God?
- Do you see endurance (long-suffering) as a gift? How is endurance linked to grace?
Prayer for Wednesday, Week Two
Lord, when there is no answer or no immediate way out, give us the gift of endurance through your grace that we may be patient in our hope. Amen.
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