and plot twists.
Luke 1:18–19
And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
Notice that Gabriel doesn’t detail how an old couple can produce a child. That’s not what Zechariah asked about. Zechariah asked, “How shall I know this?”—In other words, “How can I know that you’re telling me the truth?”
Gabriel’s answer is magnificently logical. “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.”
Remember Isaiah’s experience with standing in the presence of God?
So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” — Isaiah 6:5
Isaiah is desperate when he says, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” He’s literally disintegrating.
And why is that? Because he’s a man of unclean lips. Just as Moses couldn’t see God’s face and live, Isaiah is too sinful to stand in the presence of God without coming undone.
But that’s not a problem for Gabriel; he stands in the presence of God regularly. It’s the ultimate lie-detector test, and Gabriel passes it with flying colors.
And Zechariah totally gets this. Gabriel is saying, “You couldn’t stand in the presence of God for five seconds. I do it all the time.”
Zechariah is a true man of God and he has been chosen for an important role. Yet here he displays some surprising cluelessness.
Were all like Zechariah. The problem with Zechariah, and with us, is not being able to adjust our plans in the light of God’s direction. Unfortunately, people with a lot of initiative often get grand ideas rolling without leaving room for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
It’s great to make plans, but we need to expect major changes and redirections. God has plans too, and our job is to adjust our plans to conform to His—not find a way to preserve our plans in light of current events. We get too attached to our dreams.
One of the great thrills of being a Christian can be seeing God mess with our plans. Sometimes He just blesses them, but more often He closes some doors and opens others. If we play along with these “plot twists” we’ll be able to look back years later and marvel at the way God choreographed things.
This can be thrilling, but it does take some getting used to.
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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays’ by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community
The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.
