“And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6, ESV) Sometimes life disappoints us. We have hopes and dreams that remain unfulfilled, even after fervent prayers. That may have been the story of Zechariah, a priest from the tribe of Levi, and Elizabeth, his wife. For many years the couple had desired a child and prayed earnestly about it, but their prayers remained unanswered. As time passed and they were no longer in their childbearing years, their dreams became disappointed memories of what might have been. Then, one day an angel appeared to Zechariah as he served in the Temple. What an experience that was! Zechariah entered the Holy Place to burn incense before the Lord. While performing this priestly duty, an angel of the Lord appeared on the right side of the altar. Zechariah responded as most of us probably would. He became troubled by the encounter and even fearful. The message of the angel was as astonishing as his sudden appearance. “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,…

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV) Four hundred years is a long time for God to remain silent. Yet, in the time leading up to the birth of the Savior, God was still. The Israelites had returned to their homeland after captivity in Babylon, but it seemed the glory years of the nation were over. Now, 400 years later, they inhabited their own land but lived under Roman rule. Even worse, since the prophet Malachi spoke his final words until the present, there had been no prophetic voice in the land. God sent no prophets and gave no revelations. He had not spoken directly to His people for four centuries. What would it be like to live years and years without hearing from the Lord? Were the people desperate to receive a word from Him? Were they hungry for His voice? Or did they even notice that God was silent? Oh, Jewish religious life went on as usual. The Temple was a prominent landmark in Jerusalem, holy days were celebrated, and sacrifices were still made. But God remained silent.…

“The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” Judges 7:7 NLT In Judges chapter seven, Gideon prepared to go to war with his army against the Midianites. He starts with 32,000 warriors, but the number is quickly reduced to 300. I imagine they felt strong and confident on their way to battle with 32,00 men, but looking around at a measly 300 men was probably a little daunting. Verse 12 tells us that “the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore – too many to count!” I can imagine these 300 men questioning whether going into this battle was the smart thing to do. The army they would be facing was a force to be reckoned with, outnumbering them by more than four to one. Have you ever felt like this in your life? As though the battle you are facing can’t possibly be won, and that there’s no hope of you coming out the other side victorious? Even when we seem…

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV Fear is something I believe most, if not all of us, have dealt with in the last few years. In moments when I would personally feel fear, this scripture often came to mind. God has not given us a spirit of fear (fearfulness, timidity, cowardice) but rather a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Let’s break each one of those down. Power in this scripture can also be translated as “dynamis.” According to Strong’s Concordance, dynamis means “force, miraculous power, ability, abundance, meaning, might, power, strength, violence, mighty work. In my mind, this translates as the complete opposite of timidity, a spirit beyond what we as humans can accomplish. Love translates to “agapē.” Agapē love means affection, goodwill, benevolence, and brotherly love. This type of love is fueled by compassion, selflessness, and charity. It is overflowing with kindness, gentleness, and a genuine love for others. A sound mind translates to “self-control, moderation, and discipline.” This is not what I always thought “a sound mind” meant in this scripture. God has given us the spirit…