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Your Tears To Heaven Has Not Been Answered?
Your Tears to Heaven has not been answered?
We can learn a lot about waiting on God from the life event surrounding the birth of John De Baptist.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Announced
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family.
6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service.
9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord,
10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burnt.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar where the incense was burnt.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid.
13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John.
14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!
15 He will be a great man in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19“I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news.
20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months.
25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
********************
Lessons
* Despite they had no child they were still devout. It would have been normal for Zachariah to begin cheating as a priest. He would have stolen offerings and become a false priest, offering sacrifice on behalf of the people to God that is not requested by God; he'll be doing so just for greed sake. Many human of today would have said, "if God could forsake me a priest or abandon me to mockery and insults then I'll do as I deem fit in his house and ministry. Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth endured all insults and mockery and yet remained faithful to God in their dealings. Today women and men aren't powerful gossipers. During the days of old, from historical accounts, you'll find out that both men and women fall into gossiping; that whatever be your ill-fate you'll see people talking about you and it, day in day out until you die or run away from that community. Everywhere you go you'll be met by the mockers.
Remember that even the angel Gabriel told Mary, "... Even your cousin whom people call barren is with a child." The angel was particular about it. He expressed to Mary that God in heaven has seen that people no longer call her Elizabeth but baren. Yet she didn't stop loving God.
What is your predicament?
What are the things you have waited for heaven and people mock you about it?
How often have you wet your pillow looking up to heaven for help and none has come?
What nickname have you been given because of poverty or health challenges or because of your past sinfulness?
Don't give up on God or stop being good. God will come through when the time comes.
* Another powerful message we can get is "to be patient but working while we wait". Zachariah and Elizabeth had gone past human child bearing. In fact, he doubted the angel when the goodnews was brought to him. Why? Can we relate our lives with his why?
Zachariah as every human would do had counted himself out from such favour. He has realized that in human time and possibility there was no way they could have a child again. Zachariah and Elizabeth didn't give in to melancholy and sad life. Rather they spent their time doing good things and praying for other good things, praying for something else.
Now keep this in mind, he doubted because in his human mind he has discarded the possibility and he has also forgotten about having a child. Nevertheless, he kept praying to heaven for something else and working on other good things.
What is it that we pray to heaven for that has not worked out?
What is it that we work day and night and yet can't achieve?
Do we get unruly and use any means against God's will to acquire them?
Or do we abandon God all together and live as we like?
When we pray for something and work for something, and it doesn't come to reality let's keep working and praying. Even when we get tired of praying about it, we can still keep praying and working on something else.
Pray and work on something else and see if God won't later come to answer and bless the other one which you have already worked hard for in the past.
Whatever you don't get from prayer and hardwork just leave it. It's either not God's time or it's not made for you.
* The both of them didn't allow their childless lead to broken marriage or home. They comfort each other and stood by each other till God came through.
How much have we transferred aggression of childlessness on our wives and beat her up daily?
How often has our siblings or friends suffer the vengeance of our depression?
No matter your depressed moment or suffering due to lack or want don't hurt others. Keep loving and giving support to others. We too should give support and hope to others suffering rather than mock them.
When times are hard good humans and good Christian transfers not aggression or hurt others or mock them: they form strong bond of love, replacing the weakness and hopelessness of others with their love.
* The last lesson is that when God delay he wants to make history with you. If you have been trying your best, working hard, praying always and you are faithful to God yet nothing Good comes out of your life, Do not be alarmed. Wipe your tears because God wants to make history with you.
Look at the scripture, most of the great men and women were born to their parents at old age. Most of the great men were blessed at old age. Even Jesus delayed his ministry to 30yrs wherein people of his time were already men with kids at that age---he was just starting.
God delayed giving John De Baptist to Zachariah and Elizabeth. Just like he delayed giving Mary to Ann and Joachim. Let's remember that Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus, yet she was very old while Mary was a teenager. Elizabeth was kept childless by God until he was ready to give us the saviour of the world, Jesus. When it was time God gave John to Elizabeth and then Jesus to Mary. Mary and John De Baptist were both children of old age, yet they became the pre-chosen by God to be directly involved in the salvation of mankind. They alongside Joseph were the first human directly involved in Jesus' ministry. Mary serve as his mother and care giver with the great assistant of Joseph. Although, Joseph wasn't a child of old age. John De Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Christ.
Are you so old and think your time is up?
Do you feel it's over and you want to give up?
Are you being mocked every day by neighbours and friends or colleagues?
Wait on God in prayer, hard work and a good Christian life. Hang on and you see him make history with your life.
Hang on and take not your life. Hang on and give up not in your hard work.
Hang on and do not stop making use of your talents and skills.
Hang on and never stop being a good person even when you're mocked or derided.
© Okon Ukeme Cornelius Dominic
We can learn a lot about waiting on God from the life event surrounding the birth of John De Baptist.
The Birth of John the Baptist is Announced
5 During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife's name was Elizabeth; she also belonged to a priestly family.
6 They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.
7 They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any, and she and Zechariah were both very old.
8 One day Zechariah was doing his work as a priest in the Temple, taking his turn in the daily service.
9 According to the custom followed by the priests, he was chosen by lot to burn incense on the altar. So he went into the Temple of the Lord,
10 while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour when the incense was burnt.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar where the incense was burnt.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid.
13 But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John.
14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!
15 He will be a great man in the Lord's sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,
16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
17 He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man, and my wife is old also.”
19“I am Gabriel,” the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you this good news.
20 But you have not believed my message, which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak; you will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”
21 In the meantime the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he was spending such a long time in the Temple.
22 When he came out, he could not speak to them, and so they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple. Unable to say a word, he made signs to them with his hands.
23 When his period of service in the Temple was over, Zechariah went back home.
24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and did not leave the house for five months.
25 “Now at last the Lord has helped me,” she said. “He has taken away my public disgrace!”
********************
Lessons
* Despite they had no child they were still devout. It would have been normal for Zachariah to begin cheating as a priest. He would have stolen offerings and become a false priest, offering sacrifice on behalf of the people to God that is not requested by God; he'll be doing so just for greed sake. Many human of today would have said, "if God could forsake me a priest or abandon me to mockery and insults then I'll do as I deem fit in his house and ministry. Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth endured all insults and mockery and yet remained faithful to God in their dealings. Today women and men aren't powerful gossipers. During the days of old, from historical accounts, you'll find out that both men and women fall into gossiping; that whatever be your ill-fate you'll see people talking about you and it, day in day out until you die or run away from that community. Everywhere you go you'll be met by the mockers.
Remember that even the angel Gabriel told Mary, "... Even your cousin whom people call barren is with a child." The angel was particular about it. He expressed to Mary that God in heaven has seen that people no longer call her Elizabeth but baren. Yet she didn't stop loving God.
What is your predicament?
What are the things you have waited for heaven and people mock you about it?
How often have you wet your pillow looking up to heaven for help and none has come?
What nickname have you been given because of poverty or health challenges or because of your past sinfulness?
Don't give up on God or stop being good. God will come through when the time comes.
* Another powerful message we can get is "to be patient but working while we wait". Zachariah and Elizabeth had gone past human child bearing. In fact, he doubted the angel when the goodnews was brought to him. Why? Can we relate our lives with his why?
Zachariah as every human would do had counted himself out from such favour. He has realized that in human time and possibility there was no way they could have a child again. Zachariah and Elizabeth didn't give in to melancholy and sad life. Rather they spent their time doing good things and praying for other good things, praying for something else.
Now keep this in mind, he doubted because in his human mind he has discarded the possibility and he has also forgotten about having a child. Nevertheless, he kept praying to heaven for something else and working on other good things.
What is it that we pray to heaven for that has not worked out?
What is it that we work day and night and yet can't achieve?
Do we get unruly and use any means against God's will to acquire them?
Or do we abandon God all together and live as we like?
When we pray for something and work for something, and it doesn't come to reality let's keep working and praying. Even when we get tired of praying about it, we can still keep praying and working on something else.
Pray and work on something else and see if God won't later come to answer and bless the other one which you have already worked hard for in the past.
Whatever you don't get from prayer and hardwork just leave it. It's either not God's time or it's not made for you.
* The both of them didn't allow their childless lead to broken marriage or home. They comfort each other and stood by each other till God came through.
How much have we transferred aggression of childlessness on our wives and beat her up daily?
How often has our siblings or friends suffer the vengeance of our depression?
No matter your depressed moment or suffering due to lack or want don't hurt others. Keep loving and giving support to others. We too should give support and hope to others suffering rather than mock them.
When times are hard good humans and good Christian transfers not aggression or hurt others or mock them: they form strong bond of love, replacing the weakness and hopelessness of others with their love.
* The last lesson is that when God delay he wants to make history with you. If you have been trying your best, working hard, praying always and you are faithful to God yet nothing Good comes out of your life, Do not be alarmed. Wipe your tears because God wants to make history with you.
Look at the scripture, most of the great men and women were born to their parents at old age. Most of the great men were blessed at old age. Even Jesus delayed his ministry to 30yrs wherein people of his time were already men with kids at that age---he was just starting.
God delayed giving John De Baptist to Zachariah and Elizabeth. Just like he delayed giving Mary to Ann and Joachim. Let's remember that Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus, yet she was very old while Mary was a teenager. Elizabeth was kept childless by God until he was ready to give us the saviour of the world, Jesus. When it was time God gave John to Elizabeth and then Jesus to Mary. Mary and John De Baptist were both children of old age, yet they became the pre-chosen by God to be directly involved in the salvation of mankind. They alongside Joseph were the first human directly involved in Jesus' ministry. Mary serve as his mother and care giver with the great assistant of Joseph. Although, Joseph wasn't a child of old age. John De Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Christ.
Are you so old and think your time is up?
Do you feel it's over and you want to give up?
Are you being mocked every day by neighbours and friends or colleagues?
Wait on God in prayer, hard work and a good Christian life. Hang on and you see him make history with your life.
Hang on and take not your life. Hang on and give up not in your hard work.
Hang on and do not stop making use of your talents and skills.
Hang on and never stop being a good person even when you're mocked or derided.
© Okon Ukeme Cornelius Dominic
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