Tuesday Thought – September 1, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist. It took a miracle for that to happen because both Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were well past the normal age for child-bearing. God gave John to them as a gift and a blessing.

After John was born, Zechariah praised the Lord in a song that included these words, "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins." (Luke 1:76-77)

Zechariah had clearly heard from the Lord about how John would be used to accomplish great things. John was the forerunner of Jesus. John is the one that Jesus said was greatest among all those born of woman. That's very high praise for John. He was a very great man.

How exciting it would be to know that your child would have such a profound ministry. How thrilling to know that God was going to use your child to do something so unique and marvelous. I'm sure there are few parents who would say "no" to such a grand design for their child's life.

John's call from God also had some disadvantages. John would live all alone in the wilderness. Not a comfortable life, but one of deprivation. John would have no wife and no children. There would no grandchildren for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Then there is the way John's life would end -- beheading at an early age by a wicked king. John was in his early 30s when he was killed.

God chooses to use some people in amazing ways and that is a huge privilege and blessing. But with the blessing of being used to accomplish God's plan also comes the need to say "yes" to whatever is included in that plan -- even the downside.

Are you willing to say "yes" to God to the ways He wants to use you? For the grand purpose He has ... and for the deprivation and sacrifice it requires?

His, by Grace, Steve