The King Is ComingSample

Expect

Are you ever afraid to hope? Have you ever wanted something so much that when it looked like it might actually happen, you found reasons to doubt?

Zechariah and Elizabeth waited a long time, hoping and praying to have children. But as the years passed and they grew old, it seemed not to be. Yet the day Zechariah entered God’s sanctuary to offer incense as part of his priestly duties, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, saying Zechariah’s future son would be great in the eyes of the Lord. His son would be John the Baptist—the forerunner of Christ.

This is where Zechariah gets in trouble. He asks how he would know for sure all this was true. It’s not hard to picture Gabriel crooking an eyebrow, saying, “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at the appointed time.”

When we’re hurt or deeply disappointed, our natural reaction might be to push away hope, and keep our expectations low. But God repeatedly shows that he takes care of his own, and does immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. Zechariah was blessed with a son beyond any he could have imagined—surpassed only by Christ himself. When asked what his son’s name would be, Zechariah wrote, “His name is John.” With his renewed certainty and faith, his voice returned.

REFLECT

Consider what you’re hoping for this season, and whether you’re setting your expectations low.

RESPOND

• Identify the negative thoughts preventing you from trusting God with your hopes and dreams.
• Write down a few Bible verses that counter those negative thoughts, and claim God’s promises.