Zechariah was overcome by the power of God when he ‘sang’ forth these prophetic words. Only God knows the future and these words about John and the coming Messiah are amazing.
Luke 1:76-80 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
When I mediated on these words, I was overwhelmed by God’s gracious provision for us. He provided John to announce the coming Messiah. It had been 400 years since the last prophet Malachi had delivered a message to God’s people. They were hungry for word from God and needed to be turned back and tuned towards Him! The Messiah to come would bring salvation, forgiveness of sin, and light to a dark world. He would show God’s tender mercy towards His children by shining light on their pathways and guiding them in the way of peace. What a wonderful provider God is!!
God is our Provider. God provides for every creature He has made. He feeds the birds and gives us our daily bread. God gives us strength and goodness through the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit to enable us to live for Him. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. I love Romans 8:28 and the truth I can claim about His power of goodness in my life. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” He provides a way out of temptation and protects us from evil. 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a key verse to claim,“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” David knew the protection of God first hand as he claimed it in Psalm 140:1-2 “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men 2 who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.” God provides salvation through our faith in Jesus and He assures us that we cannot be snatched away from Him!! John 10:28“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” God’s provision of His Son was His greatest gift to us. Paul describes this gift in 2 Corinthians 9:15“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
When you look at all these provisions past and future, you can only marvel at the power and love of God!
Linda
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.
David saw God as His shepherd and wrote about him in Psalm 23.
Today as you reflect upon God, consider the 23rd Psalm and Jesus’ words in John. Know that you are loved and cared for by your loving heavenly Father and that your good shepherd, Jesus, will guide, protect, defend, hear, and love you. 
riches available to me in Christ. Once we grasp this concept of riches in Christ, a whole new world is opened to us. As Jesus said, in Matthew 17:20, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. 
is a wonderful promise from God. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God knows what we need and promises to supply all our needs. When I am stressing over money, relationships or personal suffering, I take great comfort in knowing Jesus has my back and will provide all that I need whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual. He is there with me and knows my needs before even I do. In Colossians 2:2-3, Paul expands the idea as he speaks to the Colossains. “
that they may have the full riches of complete understanding
As you journey through this day, praise and thank God that He alone is your refuge and receive His blessings as you trust in Him.
This revelation of God’s character appears in Genesis 22:14. “Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the 
This name for God, Jehovah-Jireh, is one of my personal favorites. Think back in your life and recall a time when God provided exactly what you needed when you needed it and it seemed impossible for that to have happened. That was the type of moment Abraham experienced on Mt Moriah. He trusted God, and God answered in a miraculous way. It seems that God always answers ‘outside the box’. I think of ways God could answer my prayers, and it is always beyond my imagining. Isaiah 55:8 “
need it.
Fearless Living 