God of Possibilities

This year I decided I wanted to read about the Christmas story.  No not the one that is a made up tale that we all know “It was the night before Christmas….”  I imagine that when you read that you were able to finish it off yourself.  But that is not the story I wanted to read.  I wanted to look into history and as my friend Paul pointed out, read about His story.  So I grabbed my bible and started in Luke chapter 1. 

 

I read it with the expectation to see and find nuggets of truth and value.  I was not disappointed. Just a few verses into the chapter I met Zachariah. He was a Priest you see who honored God. God found Him to be a man that sought after Him and he was righteous in God’s eyes.  Both Zachariah and Elizabeth were praying for a child. They were married for many many years and no baby came from their union. By the time I met him, he was an old man. I imagine that he had ceased praying. The people had labeled Elizabeth as Barren.  They were childless and that was life as they knew it.  Things were about to change. 

 

As Zachariah worked in the temple, he was visited by an angel that would change his life forever and ours.  You see, Gabriel came to give him news that was unbelievable. It was impossible to say the least, but we know that with God all things are possible. J

Gabriel told him that his wife Elizabeth would be pregnant with child and bring forth a son in God’s timing. This child was to be the forerunner for the Messiah, the Savior of the nation and the world.  He would call his name John.  WOW!  Zachariah was floored. He questioned the possibility of this being true. He looked at himself and considered it beyond possible – even for God.  He forgot that his very ancestors, Abraham and Sarah were icons of God making the impossible possible.  He forgot that the very nation of Israel was from that miracle. God turned barrenness into fruitfulness, disregarding medical diagnosis, defying reason and bringing about a promise that He made to Abraham years and years ago.

 Zachariah had ceased perhaps ceased praying for a child with Elizabeth and he just did not believe anymore.  He had given up on this prayer ever being answered.  Gabriel muted Zachariah and so often I wish God would do that to me.  He did it because Zachariah did not believe. His mouth would have been a dangerous weapon, spewing doubt and fear.  So it was an act of mercy on Gabriel’s part in my eyes. 

Are you with me on this?  I see myself in this story.  Are you?  Have you gotten to the stage where you have given up on that prayer request(s)?  Don’t.  Don’t trade faith for unbelief.  Don’t trade hope for resigned despair. So here is the question, “is there anything too hard for God?” And you say…? All things are possible with God.