The (somewhat) Daily Devo: Timing

Ever do those “Reading Plans” set up in your favorite Bible app?  I’m generally not a big fan but have been energized by one of late centered around Christmas and Advent.  The Scripture today…

When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.  But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”  So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.  He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.  Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

Luke 1:57-66

Here’s the part of the comment (that encouraged this church planter’s heart this morning) written and provided by Carol McLeod of Just Joy Ministries: 

“Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth ...” Certainly this “time” was not Elizabeth’s chosen time. God has a chosen time for prayers to be answered, for His mission to be accomplished and for miracles to take place. Do not for one second believe that God has forgotten you or that He has not heard your prayers. When God’s appointed time comes in its fullness, you will give birth to all that God has planned for you.

As a church we are praying of late that our time of fruitfulness is at last upon us.  (smile)

All in your Good Time, Lord.  May we pray with confidence that you hear, and that the question is not whether our prayer was answered, but whether in relying on you in prayer we grew closer to you and grew up into the person you would make of us in your Good Time.