Following Jesus Through the First Christmas: 25 Days of Advent TruthsНамуна

The Gospel of Luke doesn’t begin with Jesus’ birth – it starts with the difficult journey of two women and their miraculous pregnancies.

Verses 5-7 of Luke chapter 1 introduce us to Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah. For years they had been faithfully following God, but they weren’t able to have any children. They had likely experienced years of questions and pain.

One of the hardest things to do as a follower of Jesus is to walk through seasons of unanswered prayer. We don’t know how long Zechariah and Elizabeth had been praying for a child, but we do know that by the time God answered, Zechariah could hardly believe it.

During the years of infertility, Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t lose faith, lose heart, or lose hope – they remained faithful. They followed God even when the path forward wasn’t clear.

Their story mirrors our own.

Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll never be disappointed. Sometimes you won’t get the job, the relationship will fail, or it may feel like God didn’t answer your prayer.

What matters most is how we respond to that disappointment. We can choose to believe God even when we don’t understand His plans, so we don’t risk becoming bitter.

Don’t let your season of waiting reshape your view of your Creator.

Remember that God loves to answer prayer – even if He hasn’t answered yours yet. God is always working through our waiting.

Waiting time isn’t wasted time with God. His plans never fail.

Pray:

God, give me the patience to trust your plans, even when I don’t know what they are. Give me the perseverance to keep praying, even when I feel like giving up. Give me the faith to know you will never leave me or forsake me. Amen.

Talk About It:

What helps you stay close to God when the prayers you’ve prayed the longest still feel unanswered? How has God used your seasons of waiting to strengthen your faith and trust more fully in Him?

Worship:

Take a few minutes today to sit with this truth in song. Listen to Always on Time by Elevation Worship. Search for Following Jesus Through the First Christmas on Spotify by Biltmore Church for the full playlist.