Scripture: Luke 1:17
With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Thought for the Day: An angel appeared before Zechariah and shared the news that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would become the parents of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. Zechariah learns that his son will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that with that gift, he will do marvelous things. As you read through John’s job description (part of it found in the verse above), you realize that he has both a worthy and a difficult task. But notice the language of the angel: “…he will…” It signifies more than wishful thinking. In fact, it sounds as if the angel’s confidence in John’s success is 100%. I have a feeling that the angel’s confidence comes from God’s confidence, and if God shows that kind of conviction, I think Zechariah could feel pretty comfortable about his son’s future.
As a parent, I did not have an angelic visit that put forth a clear vision of my son’s future. There was no dream that showed me the path he would take, yet I believe his future will be marvelous. What that means, I could not tell you. But like John, we all need confident cheerleaders who offer a hope-filled future. Young people need these voices, and though we are not technically angels, let us remember that the word we translate as angel is simply the word for divine messenger. Consider being one of God’s messengers this day, a voice for a young person who needs to hear a word that will boost his/her self-esteem and provide her/him with a feeling that the future can be marvelous.
Prayer: Let me be one of your envoys of Good News, O Wonderful Counselor. Provide me your Living Word, so I can offer a good word to a young person who needs an affirmation about his/her future. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
AT
NOON AND 6:30PM
