Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.

But the angel said, 

"Don't be afraid, Zechariah! 

God has heard your prayer. 

Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John."

Luke 1:12-13 NLT

A few things for us to wonder about;

When God is giving us a nudge it can be scary. He might be asking us to step outside our comfort zone, towards someone or something that is not what we would choose. 

It's OK to be overwhelmed. When what God has seems too much for us. 

He also knows us. 

The angel didn't say "Don't be stupid" or "toughen up", he said "Don't be afraid". There's no need, God has heard you.

How long had Zechariah been praying that prayer?

V7 says they were both old and Elizabeth couldn't conceive. 

I wonder what it was that kept Zach praying?

Or was God responding to a prayer from long ago, a prayer prayed and long ago all hope seemed lost in having an answer, a prayer that had sat somewhere gathering dust, seemingly forgotten by God and forgotten by these two old people?

Their circumstances did not change their life of honoring God (see v6).

With or without this angel and the story being told, these two lived as best they could before God.

Perhaps that's my lesson this Christmas, to keep living coram Deo, before God as best I can, whether the miracles happen, the (long forgotten?) prayers are answered or not.

#christmas2023

#coramDeo

#mystery