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Am I a Zacharias?

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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, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; …


And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Zacharias did not believe he would have a child because it was too late in life: the time had passed for his wife to conceive and bear children. And yet, she did conceive and bear a child.

God can take that which is too late and make it NOT too late. Even though Zacharias doubted, yet he still became a father. 

What dreams and promises do we give up on because we feel it is too late that or God does not have enough power to keep His promises?

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God’s Wholeness Makes Up for My Lack

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God in the Bible teaches that we are to be meek. This is not just some other way to say weak. It is a strong, powerful, understanding of self and of one’s relationship to God and others.

The meek recognize that whatever they lack, it is God’s grace that will provide what is missing; it is not the weakness of another person that will provide what is missing. My worth, my ability, my value, my ability to rejoice and be happy, is not made greater by the weaknesses or faults of others. How could someone else’s lack make up for my lack? No, it cannot. God, however, is perfect. He is omniscient. He is perfectly balanced. Through my relationship with Jesus Christ, his perfectness, his lack of lacking can make up somehow for my lack. Therefore, I do not need to find fault in others, make them look bad in other people’s sight, or look down on them in order to substantiate my own worth.

How does God’s perfectness make up for my incompleteness? Perhaps, in part, that can only be done because of Jesus’ infinite, perfect atonement; and more completely done only after I yoke myself to him.

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Brandan Hadlock

When I was a kid, I loved a good rain storm. I might go to the car with a book and read while the rain pounded on the metal roof. Or perhaps sit on the back porch. There is something majestic and wonderful about nature’s power. And thankfully, usually, storms are safe. We have wonderful buildings to protect us from which we can look outside and view God’s might. Rain smells wonderful. Especially in Arizona. Wind can whip the hair. Rainwater brings life to farms and desert communities.

Sometimes, though, storms become more powerful than buildings or vehicles. Tornadoes and hurricanes destroy homes, throw cars, and devastate lives. Sometimes, too, life is hard. Despair comes. Relationships struggle. Dreams continue unmet and far away. Each of us has had some of these types of storms in our lives. Years can pass as we endure. But there is a God who watches over us and helps us. He sent us to earth to grow and progress and become like Him. He loves us and is aware of our thoughts and feelings, hopes and fears, and dreams and dislikes. Like any good father, He wants us to talk to Him, ask Him for help, and follow His counsel. Sometimes He answers our requests with a, “No.” Sometimes with a, “Yes.” Sometimes He allows us to struggle and figure things out so we can learn and grow and experience.

You might wonder why a bio about me starts with theology. Why not mention that I had a cockatiel as a pet or that as kids, we used to float around our backyard in a plastic swimming pool floating on irrigation water? Or perhaps I should interest you with that fact that my father fit and fabricated artificial ocular prosthetics. That’s right, he made hand-painted fake eyes and blessed many lives doing so. But God is central to all I am. My parents created me, but before they did, God did. My thoughts, my views, my greatest aspirations are all influenced by God and my belief in Him and his teachings.

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