But Mary had a Word from God and so do you today. For every lie the enemy wants to whisper in your ear there is a verse in the Word of God that assures you he is lying. It is always our choice who we will believe. Zechariah couldn't get his faith to overcome his doubt. Perhaps it is because of his age. The older we get the more cynical we get. The more hardened we can become by life. Zechariah must have had at least 50 years on Mary. Remember the words of Jesus:
Truly
I tell you, anyone who will not receive the
A little child trusts God. There is no doubt. There is only childlike faith. A faith that says it doesn't matter what lies the world wants me to believe I am going to believe my God. A faith that says it doesn't matter what the natural world tells me because I serve a supernatural God! This Christmas will come and go beloved. We will exchange presents, trim the tree, and maybe even share the Gospel the greatest gift we could ever give someone. But the lessons from the first Christmas we need to take with us well into the New Year.
Because the devil is still out there, prowling about seeing whom he may devour. He only succeeds when we believe him over God. And realize this today Zechariah was not a bad guy. The Bible says he was righteous in the eyes of God. Matters of faith and doubt apply to all of us. It is not a one time test either. But it is one that we can safely face and pass if we simply believe that God is who He said He was and can do what He said He can do. Forget timing. Forget what the world sells us as "fact." Faith can always rise above doubt. Who will you believe today? Merry Christmas to all.
Reverend Anthony Wade December 21, 2010
