Luke 1:18-23 And
Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man,
and my wife is well advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said to him,
“I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to
you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will
be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because
you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” And
the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the
temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they
perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and
remained speechless. So it was, as soon as the days of his service
were completed, that he departed to his own house.
The third lesson from the
forgotten side of obedience to consider is: (3) We need to be mindful about our
reactions to God and to people. When we don’t respond properly to God, it
creates frustrations, makes the journey rougher along the way, and harder for
us as things progress. Remember that doubt was the “original” sin. When
disappointment and dissatisfaction creep into our lives, we shouldn’t ignore
it, pretend that it is not there or sweep it under the rug. Be real about it,
but in a safe environment.
1 John 5:3 “For
this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome.”
What does a Divine
breakthrough look like in our life? First, Divine breakthroughs are ushered in
when we stay faithful and obedient to the instructions that we already have
from God. We tend to want God to give us clear signs and messages in extravagant ways,
but the vast majority of our instructions for life are already here. Trust God’s
holy Word, be faithful in your spirit-led walk, keep praying and keep obeying
the Lord. Secondly, Divine breakthroughs
happen when we start viewing our greatest source of pain as our greatest source
of purpose in life. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “He (God) said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore
most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
Luke 1:23-25 Now
after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months,
saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take
away my reproach among people.”
Apparent disgrace may
actually be our great purpose for God. to drive us to the places that He wants
us to be. We find our strength in the Lord and can be content in the midst of
difficult circumstances and situations. Being a Christian dies not eliminate
hardships, problems, frustrations or, even, persecution in life. Be faithful
and obedient to the Lord always. Draw closer to God and His kingdom.
In Christ, Brian
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