Our story of Advent began even before Gabriel approached Mary and Joseph as it was in the mind of God from the beginning of time. The arrival of the Messiah, one who would save mankind from their sins, was told throughout the Old Testament. Scripture also mentioned one who would come before this Messiah, Savior, and prepare the way for His arrival. Today in Luke 1:11-17 we find two people, Zechariah and Elizabeth who were consider devout and blameless (verse 6). This didn’t mean they were sinless, but that God recognized their devotion and love for Him. They had been married many years and had no children. Zechariah was a priest and Elizabeth his wife was called barren. They were both considered old, and she was beyond child bearing age.
Zechariah was serving in the temple and an angel appeared to him. “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” The angel told Zechariah their prayers for a child had been heard and would be answered with a son he was to name John. Then the angel continued and told him about this unusual child, what he would be like and what purpose God had for him. “He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Can you imagine Zechariah and Elizabeth’s surprise at hearing this news? Their prayers had been heard and the answer was forthcoming. It was not only their prayers but the prayers of the nation of Israel for a Savior, Messiah, that would to come and save them from their sins. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son would go before this coming holy one and prepare the way for Him. What honor and joy they must have felt!
How do we see God in this portion of our Advent story? As I began yesterday, knowing that God would hear my cry for understanding through His Word so Zechariah and Elizabeth were assured by Gabriel that their prayers had been heard for a child. They had prayed for years for a child to raise and love. God had chosen them to parent this coming one who would proclaim the Messiah. What joy they must have felt at knowing God heard their prayers and that they would have a child. On a bigger scale they would have understood that they would all be part of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind.
This reveals that God is accessible to us in prayer. He hears us and responds in His own way and in His own time. All God’s plans are for His glory and our good. I also see God’s infinite grace in revealing His plan to them, showing them how He was going to use them 
and their son. God did not need to tell them all these things but showed them His grace in revealing it to them. Grace is God showing us kindness or favor we do not deserve. One does not earn grace, it is freely given by God. Psalm 84:11 says “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” We also see God’s ability to know the future and have all things under His control, Sovereign. His supernatural power to provide an impossible child for Zechariah and Elizabeth also shows His love and care for us as individuals.
May you see our Accessible, Gracious, Loving, Caring and Sovereign God at work in your life today.
Linda
Several years ago, I endeavored to see the Christmas story through the lens of God’s attributes knowing that all God ordains reveals His character to us. His plan and will always brings Him glory and us good. I invite you to join me this Advent Season to journey through the scriptures with an eye towards God’s character and see what wonders we can discover about our Almighty God. Jeremiah 33:3 will be my guiding verse this season- “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” I am asking God to reveal His character to us though the Christmas stories. May we be mightily blessed and find out many things that were previously hidden to us.
James 4:8 promises “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Ephesians 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” and Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” These are just a few verses that confirm to us that we can indeed approach God and seek Him through prayer and study. As we draw near to Him this Advent Season, He will meet us just as He has promised.
How have you seen this to be true this season of thanksgiving? Is your mindset towards thanks contagious? “How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Paul felt that the thanks he had for his fellow believers, for their faith and love for God, caused him to rejoice. He saw God working in their lives and this brought joy and thankfulness to his own worship. I would call that contagious thanks. Have you ever been thankful for someone or something and it caused you to give thanks to God? As we live our lives, we need to look for those things that God gives us that create ‘contagious thanks’ within our hearts. As we give thanks to Him in these situations, God will faithfully create in us a thanks that will be contagious and will result in our being in a constant state of thankfulness and joy. Paul left the Thessalonians with these words in 5:16-18 “
Develop that attitude of gratitude and watch it grow in your own life and then watch it rub off into the lives of those around you.
I was thinking this morning about the designation ‘Black Friday’. It seems that since the 1950’s the day after Thanksgiving has been called ‘Black Friday’. It began as a term to describe the crowds, like the street was black with pedestrians. It then became a day to retailers signifying when they began to turn a profit and moved from the ‘red’ into the ‘black’ as the volume of their sales increased. In the Bible the blackest Friday would be the day of the crucifixion. It was the day when the skies turned black and darkness covered the land. “
sin and death. An angel spoke to them when they got there,
in communion with Him and have our sin’s forgiven. We are free to live a life in Christ that is pleasing to God and that is free from the penalty of death brought on by sin. That Black Friday was the best one in history for you and me.
As you gather around your Thanksgiving table today, let praise and thanks lead your discussion. David expressed it this way in Psalm 107:21-22 : 
you,” declares the 
Paul’s final words to the Thessalonians in his first letter to them shows his pastor’s heart. He told them to take care of one another, be patient, not to seek revenge and always try to do good. Then in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 he includes these thoughts: “
Is this you in all circumstances? Let David’s words be your prayer today.
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 
Take a minute today to thank Him for being the reason for your abundant and abounding thankfulness. He is worthy.
Who is God to you? To King David He was a personal God, one who saved, loved, protected, helped, restored,cared for and directed him throughout his life. In Psalm 118:28-29 David desires to give thanks to his God.
Make God personal today and move into a relationship with Him. 1 John 1:9 tells us how to know Jesus- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Make this your first Thanksgiving with Him- ask for His forgiveness for the sins you’ve committed. You know the words you’ve used to hurt others, your selfishness, your unkind actions… the list for all of us goes on and on as this is the sin nature we were born with. Put a stop to this circle of sinning and invite Jesus into your life. Like David, you will have a personal relationship with God. That relationship is worthy of all our thanks and praise to Jesus who made it possible. Knowing Jesus will change your life! Praise and thank Him this Thanksgiving for this new life. If you know Jesus, thank Him today for His marvelous grace and forgiveness.
Praise God for His love, sovereignty, omnipotent power, creating all things, protecting, watching and caring for us. We are so blessed that we belong to Him.
Give thanks to the 
Fearless Living 