Luke 1:8–17 (ESV)
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom
of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord
standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and
your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong
drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Have you
ever been doing your job day after day and simply caught up in the routine of it? This was probably Zechariah’s life until an angel of the Lord shows up. Zechariah had been chosen to go into the temple and burn incense. In opportunity
of a lifetime. Even greater was meeting an angel of the Lord. Zechariah was troubled, but the angel said “Do not be afraid”. Zechariah was about to experience a miracle. He was about to experience the impossible. He and
Elizabeth were going to have a baby. The baby was John the Baptist… and he would prepare the way for Christ!
I pray: O Lord, you really rock
our world sometimes… and we don’t see it coming! Use me and shape me according to Your will. Amen.