“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.” (Luke 1:11–13, NIV84)
So, maybe it is not every day that ordinary people see angels, but on this particular day an ordinary man named Zechariah did. But maybe such acts are not as uncommon as we think. Maybe an angel from heaven hasn’t talked to you personally, but has God revealed Himself to you in equally direct ways? Has God not put someone in your life at just the right time? Hasn’t He spoken to your heart so clearly that you altered the direction of your life based on those words? If you’re honest with yourself, you would have to admit that God has done similar things in our lives as well.
Once we get over the shock that God is speaking to us, it’s time to listen to the message. Put yourself in Zechariah’s shoes and listen to what the angel says. The angel tells Zechariah not to be afraid. The message the angel has for him is good. “Zechariah, you might think that God has been ignoring your prayers, but He hasn’t been. He has heard them and He is now going to respond to them. He is going to bless you and your wife and you are going to have a son.” WOW! The news doesn’t get any better than that. God does hear our prayers and He does respond to them according to His will and glory and for our good.
This morning we should be thankful that we have a God who meets our needs. He comes from eternity and touches our temporal lives in order to bless us and respond to our prayers. May this give us hope, comfort, and confidence as we live out our Christian lives today.
Peace!
Pastor Tom