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Wednesday, December 15, 2004
On the first day of this study, we focused on how the real people, Elizabeth and Zachariah, lived in real life and how this elderly couple lived a real faith even though 400 years had caused apathy to set in. Yesterday, we saw the greatest day in Zachariah's life got continually better...to become one of the best possible days in all of history.
Some days really are like that. Simply great days. And Dr. Suess describes days like this well in "Oh, The Places You'll Go!":
"Oh, the places you'll go! There's fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winningest winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV."
The problem is that these great days usually come to and end. And usually with a thud. Dr. Suess describes that, too:
"Except when the don't
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games, too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you."
Yep. Sometimes we can cause those fabulous days to come down with a thud.
Zacharias did that, too.
See, he had just found out that he was going to be a father. And the father of the forerunner to the Messiah. That history was cranking back up, and he would have a front row seat for all of it. In fact, he was in the Holy of Holies, conversing with an angel who told him all that stuff.
And then he brings it down with a thud in verse 18: "And Zacharias said to the angel, 'How shall I know for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.'"
Have you ever said something you wish you could take back right after the words got out of your mouth? Yeah, I think this is a lot like that. Especially based on what the angel says next:
"I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news."
That's code for, "Ahem, Zach, I'm an angel who was just in heaven talking to GOD for crying out loud, and I was told to come here special and tell you all these things, and yet you question God's ability to make it happen due to a little age problem?"
Oh, yeah, and there's a small consequence for this doubt, too. Gabriel continues:
"And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time."
Yeah, I think Zachariah wanted a big do-over.
Apparently, when we have trouble seeing what God is trying to do in our lives, we often take the focus off Him and put it on our own abilities or skills or talents or desires.
And there are consequences...even if they don't result in our mouths not working for 9 months and 8 days.
And, yes, we usually want a big do-over when we look back on it.
So, today's question is to ask what it is that God is telling you to do (or maybe not do) and how are we focusing on ourselves that prevents us from "being the winningest winner of all?" What can we do to change this?
Tomorrow, we'll see another angelic visit, and an entirely different set of people, and an entirely different response.
Brent 4:02 AM
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