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Luke 1:57-66

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John. “And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.  And immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

The news was unbelievable. The angel, Gabriel, told Zechariah that he was going to be a father, a dream the old priest had put to death long ago. As a sign of the angel’s authority, Zechariah was rendered speechless for the duration of the pregnancy.

When Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, gave birth, her friends and family celebrated with her. They expected the child to be named after someone in the family and were surprised when she answered, “He shall be called John.” They appealed to Zechariah who wrote on a tablet, “His name is John.” Then Zechariah’s speech was restored, and he began to praise God.

Not everyone knew about Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah regarding the birth of John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for Jesus. But the manner of his birth to parents well past childbearing age, and Zechariah’s recovered speech, left them filled with awe. They knew that this child was destined for a special assignment, “for the Lord’s hand was with him.”

Talking to God

Father, because of your grace, every person is destined for a special assignment. Because of Jesus, your hand is always with us. In his name. Amen.

 

For parents: Remind your children that when a person trusts in Jesus, they are significant, secure, accepted, forgiven, and empowered (SSAFE). Remind them that God has a special assignment for each one. Discuss what they think that special assignment might be. While this conversation is personal, we’d love to hear about the things you learned as you discussed this with your children. Share your story with us at prayer@ronmoore.org.

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This Week on The Journey Broadcast:

 

Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas