“And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, “Fear not, Zaharias; for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.”
Luke 1:11-13 KJV
Zacharias was a priest and a godly man who was chosen to minister in the Temple before the altar of incense. The altar of incense represented the prayers of God’s people. He and his wife had no child and were beyond the normal childbearing age. For a long time they had prayed for a child, but the answer had not come. Then in the midst of engaging in his ordinary duties as a priest, Zacharias was confronted by an angel from the Lord. He was surprised. He was startled. He was afraid. After all, it isn’t every day that one sees an angel!
The message of the angel was nothing short of miraculous. The prayer of Zacharias had been heard. He and his barren wife would have a son. And they were to name him John! He was shocked. He was amazed, for he was well aware of the natural impossibility of his circumstances. Although he could not deny what he had seen and heard, he struggled to accept and believe the message! Zacharias had experienced God in the midst of the ordinary and he was overwhelmed.
Whenever the Lord reveals Himself to us, He always does so in the midst of the ordinary. He steps into the ordinary circumstances of our lives and suddenly we are conscious that He is there! And like Zacharias, we are normally surprised and amazed. Knowing that the Lord can reveal Himself at any time, should encourage us to live our lives with a sense of expectancy!
The Lord’s revelation of Himself to us may not be as dramatic as that of Zacharias, but if we live with expectancy our eyes and ears will be trained to see Him and hear Him however He reveals Himself. After all, He has promised that if we are looking for Him, we will find Him! (Jer. 29:13).
Rev. James W. Black
