Christian Reflection and Prayer

There was a priest named Zechariah ... and he had
a wife … Elizabeth. And they were both righteous
before God … but they had no child (see Luke 1:5-7)
.
Christmas Eve holds a special place in my memory.
I remember my family sitting together in the living
room after the candlelight Christmas service, enjoying
a crackling fire. The only other light comes from the
Christmas tree and dozens of candles. We spent
hours passing around funny Christmas memories,
while steam rose from our coffee and hot chocolate.

 

Luke’s account of the first Christmas begins with an
introduction to Mary’s relative Elizabeth and her
husband Zechariah the priest. Zechariah and
Elizabeth were both good, upright people. Not that
they were good enough to earn heaven—none of us
can do that. They were good in God’s eyes because
they believed His promise to save them through the
coming Christ. They had both lived to a good old age
but were childless. In that age it was considered a
disgrace when a couple was without child. For many
long years the couple had prayed and wondered why
God had kept them from having a child. By this late
age, they had given up hope completely.

 

Is there something missing in your life? Something
you have prayed long and hard for but nothing
changes? Does that make you question God or
yourself? Stick around and see that God always has
a good reason, when He holds something back from us.

 

THE PRAYER:

 

Lord God, sometimes life doesn’t seem to have any
rhyme or reason. I want something desperately but,
for whatever reason, You withhold it from me. Give me
patience and faith to trust that You are good, loving and
gracious, so I may wait patiently for Your time. In Jesus’
Name. Amen.

 

(Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)