In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah....And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. -- Luke 1:5-7
Have you ever been let down? Have you ever found yourself longing for something that is dear to your heart? For Zachariah and Elizabeth, the gift of children was the pinnacle of blessing. On that culture, the inability to bear children, and to not have a male child was tantamount to disgrace. In other words, for this couple, life hasn’t worked out for them the way they have wanted. But what is so astounding is what we find them doing in spite of it all – Praising God! We find that they still have hearts to serve the Lord. Not because God had given them everything they wanted physically, no, they served out of love for God. Why? They key is in verse six. The scripture declares, “…They were both righteous before God….” How could they still be moved to serve God in the midst of disappointment in their lives personally? Grace. The grace of God. Were they truly righteous before God on their own? No. They were a couple who experienced the wonder of God’s grace.
Have you experienced the wonder of God’s grace? Are you serving God right now in order to leverage Him by being good in order to get what you desire? Or, like these two, are you serving God simply out of love for Him, and out of a grateful heart in light of His glorious grace and intentions for you? You see, it is when we simply seek first the Kingdom of God that everything else gets added. Seek Jesus today. Love Him for who He is, and the grace He has given through the finished work of the cross!
