Thursday, December 5, 2024
The Faithfulness of Zechariah
One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. (Luke 1:8-9 NLT)
Zechariah the priest was a faithful man. He was faithful in what God set before him. His job as a priest included serving in the temple in Jerusalem twice a year. It would have been an important occasion to leave his little country parish, go to the big city of Jerusalem to the temple, and enter the holy of holies and offer a sacrifice on behalf of the people of God.
This shows us that God often speaks to His people when they are busy doing their daily tasks. For example, when God called Moses to lead Israel out of Pharaoh’s bondage, he was tending sheep. When God called David to run an errand that would result in the death of the mighty Goliath in the Valley of Elah, he, too, was tending sheep.
When Elijah was looking for a successor to carry on his ministry, he found him plowing a field. And when God called Gideon to deliver Israel from the tyranny of the Midianites, he was threshing wheat. When Jesus called His disciples to change the world, they were mending their nets. They simply were doing what was set before them.
Some of us envision a great ministry for the Lord. We might have said, “One day I would like to be a missionary and cross the ocean for Christ.”
On the other hand, God might say, “Would you mind crossing the street first and talking to your neighbor?” The mission field is all around us. It’s right outside our doors.
God has given us spiritual gifts as Christians. When we come to Christ and ask God to empower us with the Holy Spirit, He gives gifts of the Spirit. Romans 12:6 tells us, “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (NLT).
The gifts of God don’t come fully formed. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (2 Timothy 1:6 NLT). We need to take the gift God has given us and start using it. And the way we become better at what God calls us to do is by doing it a lot.
Each of us must take the gift that we have and develop it through use.
You might say, “I don’t know what I am good at.” Sometimes the best way to discover what you’re good at is to first discover what you’re not good at. Sometimes the process of elimination can be helpful. We can benefit from so-called failures by realizing that we’re not gifted in those areas. We all have abilities that God has given us. And we need to use them.
However, it’s difficult to steer a car when the engine isn’t running. And if we want to serve the Lord, we start by going out and doing something for Him. If we are faithful in the little things, then God will give us greater opportunities.
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