of salvation.
Luke 1:67–80 (ESV)
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
One of the best devotional guides is Search the Scriptures published by Intervarsity Press. It walks through the Bible in three years—which seems a practical pace. For each day’s reading, they provide a few questions to meditate on. They do not provide the answers. I found their questions for this passage, known as Zechariah’s Song, to be especially insightful.
What, according to this song, is the purpose of salvation? Is this your experience?
Search the Scriptures has been in print since 1949. It’s still widely available.
The genius of Search the Scriptures is the way it relies on the Holy Spirit to illuminate the students. By providing questions but leaving out the answers, it stimulates deeper study and meditation.
The genius of how the local church works is similar. It provides resources and leadership, but the Holy Spirit is the real engine. Church leaders don’t control, only shepherd. So, how can we help that?
One of the principal ways that church members can help build their church is though the local fellowship groups. These are key “growth centers” where iron sharpens iron and the Holy Spirit deepens fellowship and discipleship. Pray for the leaders as they prepare lessons—that they will be kept from error. Pray for the members—that they will engage with the lessons and pursue deeper understanding.
Secondly, consider how you can contribute. This is how many people grow in ways they didn’t see coming. If you’ve never led a study, you may get encouraged to lead one. Don’t let fear keep you from growing.
Just because you can’t imagine yourself in a different role, doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
To forward this devotional, see the link in green below.
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.
