AWWR #11

Read: Luke 1:18-25

Sing: Hark, the Harold Angels Sing!

While, although we have a lot to work through, I am not ready to move on. I want to linger in this portion again today and tomorrow. The entirety of the Christmas season can become quite hurried if we aren't careful, but in these moments of quietness before the Lord, I want to lay still.

We briefly started talking about unbelief last study but I want to further dive into this. For me, it is something that lays root at many of my fears. Often it boils down to this, Do I actually believe that everything that happens in my life is for my good and God's glory? Sure it is easy to say yes to the happy things, the good things, the fruitful seasons...but do I say yes in the face of uncertainty, sickness, faithlessness and hardship?

Ryle writes, "The forty years' wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, should never be forgotten by professing Christians. The words of Paul are very solemn : "They could not enter in because of unbelief."

It reminds me of the Luke 16:19-31 where Jesus talks about the rich man and the poor man Lazarus. My mind went right to the end where the rich man begs that messengers be sent to his 5 brothers to warn his brothers that they might be spared torment. And the response comes, they have Moses and the Prophets...if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, even if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe. 

Often we wait for miracles or signs and wonders to "trust," in the Lord. Such is our nature, we want proof. All the while we ignore that we have the written Word of God. Complete. Every thing that the Lord would want us to know until His second Advent has been graciously, mercifully given to us. Yet, so many times we respond in unbelief. We want more, but neglect the faithful study of what we have. We want signs written in the clouds, and angels to appear and tell us what to do!

BUT! Zechariah should be a great reminder that even a righteous man, who knew the prophecies, and was literally in the middle of serving the Lord in the Temple...when a heavenly Host appeared, it was in fact, not enough. Gabriel will silence him in his doubt that very moment. And as doubt was the last words on Zechariah's mouth here, we will get to see that his first words 9 months later will be in prophecy and praise. His unbelief will be turned to worship.

Ryle concludes his thoughts on this passage, "Let us watch and pray daily against this soul-ruining sin. Concessions to it rob believers of their inward peace,-weaken their hands in the day of battle,-bring clouds over their hopes,-make their chariot wheels drive heavily...Unbelief, in short, is the true cause of a thousand spiritual diseases, and once allowed to nestle in our hearts, will eat as doth a canker. "If ye will not believe, ye shall not be established (is. 7.9)." In all that respects the pardon of our sins, and the acceptance of our souls,-the duties of our peculiar station and the trials of our daily life,-let it be a settled maxim in our religion, to trust every word of God implicitly, and to beware unbelief."" 

May we pray this Advent season for confidence in our Covenant keeping God.