Bread Crumbs – Devotions for Life

SPECIAL NOTE:

Today on my other WordPress Blog, Reclamation 316,

I have posted my preaching notes for today’s sermon Reflections on 2 Tragedies,

which will be about the two tragedies affecting our community this week,

the REACT Helicopter Crash and the Tragedy in Connecticut. 

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Released for Praise and Witness

Luke 1:57-64

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.  Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zacharias, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” 

They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” 

Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.  He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”  Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.  (NIV)

Talking with Robert on the telephone always drove me crazy.  You’d ask him a question and there would be this incredibly long silence.  So long, you’d cave in to the temptation to ask him, if he was still there.  His response was, “I’m thinking!”

His silence was always a test for me.

If Zacharias and Elizabeth were the typical couple, I am sure that there were times when Elizabeth wished he’d speak up.  Likewise, I am certain that Zacharias enjoyed being the clam.

He couldn’t speak and she couldn’t get a word out of him.  I can only imagine the 9 months of silence was torturous for both.

It was not until Zacharias was obedient to God’s Word “name him John” that he was able to talk again.

I wonder what the world would sound like if only people who were obedient to God’s Word would be able to speak aloud.  The sounds of silence would change our world and hopeful reform our disobedience.

But when Zacharias was able to speak, he praised God in word and song.  When his son John (the Baptist) spoke as God’s servant during his ministry he bore witness to the greatest news every heard.

Some people heard his words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” and prepared their hearts for God’s coming.

They were blessed.

What have you said today?  What have you heard?

Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen. (Psalm 19:14)