Daily Devotion 12/04/18
Luke 1:6-7 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
Zechariah and Elizabeth had pretty much lost all hope to be parents. They were past the child bearing years. We’re told that Elizabeth was barren. Despite many years of praying, there just wasn’t a baby. They had probably stopped praying by now as they gave up hope. I wonder if bitterness, entitlement, or rebellion filled the hole in their hearts that hope left when it disappeared? They were good people! How could God not change their circumstances.
Maybe you can relate. You’re a good person. You try to live as good as you can. You’ve tried to be a model Christian and yet God hasn’t changed your circumstances. He’s seemed to go silent on you. Why? You begin to lose hope because your circumstances aren’t changed. But do you know something? Hope doesn’t come from changed circumstances. Hope comes from God’s promises. Promises that he’s made directly to you in his Word. So today, instead of asking God to change your circumstances and put all your hope in that, ask him to help you trust his promises more. It is in his promises that you have hope.
Thank you, Lord, for giving me so many wonderful promises in your Word. You promise that you will always hear my prayers through Jesus. So I believe that you do. Help me to be okay with circumstances not changing, but instead help me to trust your promises more. Amen.