Rediscovering ChristmasSample

SOLITUDE WITH GOD

In yesterday’s devotional we looked at the role the priest Zechariah played in the story of Christ’s Birth. It’s time now to look at the sequel involving his wife, Elizabeth.

Zechariah returned home from his temple service. “After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion” (Luke 1:24).

Barren prior to this, Elizabeth had felt socially disgraced. So we might imagine the temptation for Elizabeth to run through the streets of her Judean village, proclaiming the news concerning the coming prophet growing in her womb—a kind of “check me out” revenge parade. But she didn’t do that. She retreated into seclusion.

Why? Perhaps she feared that if she went public with the news and then miscarried, it might call her charac­ter into even greater suspicion. In any case, solitude became the context where she could ponder the wonder of what God was doing with her.

Following this period of seclusion, Elizabeth’s relative Mary—pregnant with Jesus—came to visit Elizabeth.

At their meeting, Elizabeth pronounced Mary and Mary’s Child to be blessed, referring to Mary as “the mother of my Lord” (verse 42). But how did Elizabeth know that Mary was pregnant, much less that the Baby inside Mary was Divine?

Elizabeth must have been enlightened by the leaping of her son in utero and because she became “filled with the Holy Spirit” (verse 41). But let’s also remember the context of all this for Elizabeth—her seclusion. In solitude, Eliza­beth’s understanding of God’s Unfolding Story undoubtedly expanded, and this would have made her ready for the meeting with Mary.

The principle for us here is this: All those who seek God in solitude can expect the Indwelling Spirit to impart revela­tion for life.

Any time of year can be a good time for practicing solitude and seeking the Presence of God. The time leading up to Christmas, in particular, is an invitation to slow, to still, and to seek solitude to hear God’s Whisper over you.

How can you make room in your life for time alone with God, enjoying His Presence, gaining His Perspective on your situation, and receiving Guidance from Him?