Daily Devotional for October 13, 2012

Luke 1:11-17
All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. But the angel told him:

Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.

John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. That is how John will get people ready for the Lord.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Few, if any of us have experienced a miracle – or a turning point – on the scale of what happened to Zechariah! But I would be willing to bet that God has heard your prayers at some point and answered you in a way you never expected… done something for you that you had imagined was pretty nearly impossible.

How did this make you feel? How did it affect your attitude toward God? Did you become more determined to serve Him? Was your faith increased as a result?

My point is twofold:

1. While this is human nature, we really shouldn’t have to be dumbstruck by God in order to truly serve Him or believe in His promises, and
2. Never stop praying and believing, because God will answer… often when you least expect it.

I could cite more than one example of how God has answered my own prayers and facilitated amazing turning points. Hopefully, you have many examples of your own that you could share, as well. But know this… God is faithful to us. When we communicate with Him and honor Him with our actions and serve in His name, He blesses. He answers… delivers…indulges us in ways we cannot even imagine - with gifts and favor beyond anything we could dare to dream!

Never give up on God! He most certainly has not given up on you! Your blessings may not be as profound as those He gave to Zechariah… but they will be no less significant in your own life – or toward furthering His kingdom. Stay awake and alert… ready to be blessed… and always, always, trust in the LORD’s ability to use you!

©2012 Debbie Robus