Ready, Set, Go
Today
is the last day of November and as I stand looking out into the vast ocean of crazy,
beautiful, that is December, I can feel the excitement touching my cold toes. I can’t wait for all the “stuff” that is
filling the calendar, but before we all dive in without checking if it’s safe
for diving deep, let’s sit.
Sit and wait. Wait with childlike anticipation at the anniversary
of the birth of a Savior. Wait with
anticipation at all the silly, tacky ways we like to recreate that excitement
each year. As I was finishing up my goal
of reading through Matthew I couldn’t wait to get a peak at the favorite
scriptures of December: Luke 2, but I laid eyes on the page just before I
flipped and saw right at the bottom, a prayer, a prophecy that summed up how I
was feeling about this elastic, bursting, excitement.
Zacharias says in Luke 1:68-79
(NASB)
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of David His servant—
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
71 [aq]Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
[ar]By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of David His servant—
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
71 [aq]Salvation from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
[ar]By the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Zacharias had been mute for the entire pregnancy of his wife,
Elizabeth. He, being a priest, more than
anyone should have believed the angel when he came to tell that Elizabeth (who
was old and barren) would be giving birth to John the Baptist, but enamored by
his age, and education, he was gripped with doubt. Gripped with doubt, even as he saw the angel
Gabriel!
When John was born, Zacharias began to speak again, and he
was more than ready to proclaim this wonder!
He wasn’t singing the praises of his new baby, but of God himself who
did this miracle and the miracle that is our Savior who was to come. In verse 78-79, “the tender mercy of our God,
with which the Sunrise from high will visit us TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN
DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH”.
Oh, what a Savior! He is the SUNRISE that is why the word is
capitalized in the scripture! The God of
the universe in human flesh, to dwell among us!
To shine light into darkness. Our
darkness.
Maybe you don’t really celebrate in December because you
have your doubts. Like Zacharias, even
the sight of an angel could not sway you, that’s ok, God can handle your
questions. Maybe you are an all-out
crazy person who can’t get enough red, green and everything in between, before
you set off to be an elf, sit for a moment and take in the wonder. Maybe you
are just going through the motions because something has made you “numb” this
year or in the years past and you feel forgotten. I promise, you are not forgotten, God
remembered you along with the entire world and sent His son to bring you
everlasting love and peace.
Wherever you find yourself this last day of November, I implore
you to get ready for this season of remembrance, of lights, of love…because
December 25th is coming. It has
come. He has come. He just wants you to let the Sunrise shine
upon you, into whatever darkness and doubt may be holding you down.
So, get ready, read something in the gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, or John. Read about Jesus,
as a baby, and how He lived, died, and rose again, just for you.
Get set, set for a joyous time to reflect the love of the
God of the universe to those around you.
Go tell it, as the old Christmas carol says: “over the hills
and everywhere, that Jesus Christ is born.”
He was born…That has made all the difference.
-Melissa Pyle
November 30, 2018
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