Christmas: The Divine Interruption ናሙና

Elizabeth   

Elizabeth is an encouraging example to us about how to respond when God’s promises look to become a reality in our lives. We read about how Elizabeth replied when she found out she was pregnant, even though it seemed impossible to her natural thinking. “After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, ‘This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men’” (Luke 1:24-25).

Clearly, based on her behavior, Elizabeth was deeply moved when she learned that she was pregnant, despite being past the age of childbearing. Part of her reaction was to keep herself in seclusion for five months. I find Elizabeth’s reaction interesting since this would seem to be a time of exuberance and celebration of the fulfillment of God’s promise! I wonder if Elizabeth felt a deep sense of gratitude and intimate connection with God during those months, such that she wanted to preserve such a unique time and experience in her life. I would suspect that initially, she was in awe of this divine gift, and I think that the reality of the promise made such an impact that she wanted to experience each day with special gratitude and reflection by choosing to keep herself secluded.

We would be wise not to allow either the fanfare or boredom of life to dilute our connection and intimacy with God, regardless of the season in which we find ourselves. Like Elizabeth, we can find great intimacy in those quiet and individual times with God—when we steal away by ourselves to revel in His goodness and love to us.

Reflection: How can you carve out a few minutes to pause and reflect on God’s goodness to you? What is a miracle you would like to see God do in your life? Take a moment to express this request to God.