This Christmas, can I urge you to take some time to stop, think and pray your way through the Christmas story. We tend to think that we're familiar with the story. It's a story that we've heard every year since we were born, we've performed in or watched countless Nativity plays, we've watched the films and tv programmes, and we may even have read it ourselves numerous times. But when we approach it through prayer, with an open mind, this familiar story can and does reveal new truths that we need to hear. With this in mind, I have recently downloaded an app developed for 24-7 Prayer, called Lectio 365, it is a daily devotional resource that helps you pray through the Bible every day. They launched it at the start of Advent, but you can dip in and out - I would highly recommend it.
The last few days, the app has been focusing on the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah and it set me thinking about the power of our words and those around us. We are encouraged to speak out positive words over our lives and situations and also into the lives of others. I don't think that we always recognise how powerful negative words are, until either we're on the receiving end or until we read one of the harrowing stories of someone who has been driven to a point of severe depression or even to suicide due to what people have said about them, both to their face and also in the online world. We often hear the term trolls in relation to online bullying, but that term doesn't fully convey the misery and anguish that they cause, as it takes many of us back to childhood, to the fairy tales like the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, where good overcomes evil in the end. In real life, unfortunately good does not always overcome evil!
(Election Side Note - here in the UK, we're heading to the polling stations on Thursday to elect a new Government. Can I urge you to take a minute and think before posting anything political online, remember that as followers of Christ, we should be standing up for the oppressed and we should be seeking justice, but that we should also remember that we have brothers and sisters in Christ who have differing political views to us. They're not necessarily wrong, just different to us. We need to stop before entering a political argument and remember that others, who know we are Christians, will be looking at what we do and say and they will be drawing conclusions about Christianity, the Church and us from how we conduct ourselves, we therefore need to discuss all issues with courtesy, truth and respect.)
Back to the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah (as recorded in Luke 1), yet another story of God making a promise to an infertile, old couple about the gift of a baby. When the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the Temple, he is initially gripped with fear (it's not everyday that you get to see and talk to an angel), but the angel reassures him and then starts to tell him the good news that his prayers have been heard and that they will have a son. As a priest, he would have known all the old testament stories of God's promises including the one about a baby for Abraham and Sarah, often delivered by angels and that they always came to pass. So, what's the first words that come out of his mouth? Not words of thanks and praise! In verse 18, Zechariah says to the angel “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Gabriel's responds immediately with “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” This may appear a little harsh, but here was a man who should have known better, a man who was dedicated to serving God, a man who knew the history of his people, a man who had been praying for a son for many years, a man who had encountered an angel telling him that his prayers were being answered and yet he doesn't believe it can happen to him!
If Zechariah hadn't been silenced, he would have gone home and continued questioning what he'd been told. He would have spoken negative words over Elizabeth and put doubts in her mind that God was answering their prayers. Even when it was clear that she was pregnant, the negative words could have been dangerous for the baby - we now know that a baby in the womb can hear what's going on in the world, so any negative words could have had a detrimental effect on the baby's development.
So, what should our reaction be? We all need to stand firm, holding on to the promises that God has spoken over our lives, even when our circumstances might be saying something different. We shouldn't let our current circumstances rob us of our birthrights. This is something that Ruth and I are continually encouraging each other with, speaking out the promises He's spoken into our lives. We are trying not to be Zechariah's and question the promises we've been given.
Remember to approach Christmas afresh, the old, familiar story still has the ability to speak life and truth to each of us. I will finish by borrowing a prayer from the Lectio 365 app:-
"Lord, in this busy season, please help me to be still. I am opening my ears now to hear amazing things from You, quietly preparing my heart for the wonder of Your coming at Christmas. Amen"
Read our blog