Welcome! If you
are reading The Women of Christmas
by Liz Curtis Higgs with us, we are looking at Elizabeth and Zechariah in
Chapter 1, “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room.”
There is a verse in Philippians that holds power for me.
I’ve memorized it, I personalize it, and I rely on it.
For
God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases
him. Philippians 2:13 NLT
Although, Elizabeth and Zechariah wouldn’t have had Paul’s
letter to the church in Philippi to read, God’s power was very much a part of
their lives.
Zechariah
and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s
commandments and regulations. Luke 1:6 NLT
Glancing at the verse, I could think obedience wouldn’t even
be a question. Zechariah was a priest; they would have had to obey the Lord’s
commandments and regulations.
But God saw them as righteous.
For Zechariah and Elizabeth, it was more than just following
the rules. They weren’t obedient to earn God’s favor. They were obedient
because they loved God.
Like Abraham, so many years before, it was because of their
faith that God counted them as righteous, not because of what they did.
So, for me, the question isn’t whether or not they were
obedient, it’s how were they able to stay faithful and obedient?
Like our lives today, theirs weren’t perfect. Despite years
of praying for a child, they were childless. And aging. At some point, they
must have decided that a child was not in God’s plans for them.
And yet, they continued to live their lives for God.
Together
they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the
commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. Luke 1:6 The Message
How did they not let their disappointment,
discouragement, and sadness get between them and God?
How do we?
They made a decision to rely on God, and through that
decision, God’s power and strength were at work within them giving them the
ability to stay faithful and obedient.
God’s power and strength is for us too.
God
is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Philippians
2:13 CEV
It is God who gives us the desire and strength to stay
faithful to Him.
How often do we find ourselves at a cross-road with a
decision to make?
We see God’s way and know staying faithful is the right
thing to do. But we know what we want, and maybe we could make it happen by
going the other way.
Temptation is powerful, and the enemy uses it to encourage
us to go the other way.
So, how do we choose God’s way when we’re weak, tired, and
discouraged?
By relying on the strength and power God gives. He won’t
force it on us, but it’s there—freely given for anyone who chooses to accept
it.
And not to accept it just once, but every day, every hour,
even every minute, relying on God, instead of ourselves.
In the face of temptation, we often don’t want to choose
what’s right, or don’t have the strength to choose. But when we keep calling
out to God—trusting Him to provide what we need to make the right choices—He is
there.
He is the One who gives us the desire and power to do what
pleases Him—to act in obedience and stay faithful—in all circumstances.
In Christ,
Laura
