The Patter of Little Feet
Elizabeth had long since resigned herself to the fact that she would never hear the patter of little feet in the parsonage where she and her husband, Zechariah lived. Elizabeth was barren. Barren—the very word elicits thoughts of sand blowing across a desert wasteland.
Zechariah was in the sanctuary carrying out his priestly duties, when God interrupted him. Gabriel, the angel that stands in the very presence of God, left his coveted place to stand in the presence of God’s priest. Shocked by the angelic sight, Zechariah became frightened. Like many worshipers today, Zechariah wasn’t expecting to hear a word from the Lord while he was doing his religious duty.
Gabriel had some good news: Luke 1:13 NLT “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
“Thy prayer has been heard”—what prayer! Zechariah hadn’t done any praying for a child in years. He’d forgotten about the prayer, but God hadn’t. In his perfect timing, God answered a young man’s prayer when he was too old to believe anymore and gave his wife a son, when she was too old to conceive anymore.
How could a religious man be surprised to find a word from God in the sanctuary? Why would a priest doubt that God could answer his stale prayer?
Simple. He’d never experienced Christmas before. Have you?
Luke 2:11 KJV “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).
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