He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God (Luke 1:63–64, esv).
Maybe nine months without being able to talk would be just the cure we need for whatever keeps us from praising God with the mouth we already have. Maybe the joy we’re not feeling and expressing today is directly related to an unwillingness to embrace this message:
God has been gracious to us.
Did you know that’s what the name “John” means? The Lord has been gracious. When Gabriel told the old priest Zechariah, “Your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:13), here’s part of the reason why this name was chosen. Every time he held that baby in his hands, every time he saw him growing up as a kid, every time he thought about what his son’s birth meant in terms of God’s faithful promises, he was supposed to think, The Lord has been gracious to me.
But he didn’t see it at first. Zechariah couldn’t get there in the moment. He said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). He couldn’t believe that the Lord had been that gracious to him.
And if that’s you, sitting here not enjoying the Lord like others do, you’re going to miss out—like Zechariah did, when he was made “unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words” (Luke 1:20). If you’re so focused on what’s yet to be, on what your mind says can’t possibly be, you’ll miss the joy that comes from embracing that the Lord has been gracious to you already.
So make your focus this Christmas, “The Lord has been gracious to me.” Sure, you could list the things you’ve been waiting and longing for, all the prayers He seems to have left unanswered through the years. But are you really going to lose your joy over those things that haven’t happened yet, when He’s given you help and strength and life and breath—a Bible in your hands, the Spirit in your heart, love showered on you in innumerable ways?
Picture Zechariah, when his wife Elizabeth came to tell him she believed she was pregnant, but he wasn’t able to speak. Imagine him putting his hand on her stomach and feeling the baby kicking, but not being able to say anything. Even after the boy was born, as their neighbors and relatives were rejoicing, as Zechariah held him in his arms, he still couldn’t utter a word. He couldn’t embrace it. He’d lost the capacity for joy.
But then the day came for them to name their child. How was Zechariah going to handle it? “He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’” He wasn’t going to blow this again. For nine months he’d been thinking every day, The next time I get to talk . . . he was going to praise God. He was going to say what he wouldn’t say the first time. He was going to embrace what he hadn’t been willing to embrace before. “John”—the Lord has been gracious to me.
Do you want joy? Then get to the place where, in spite of what you’re waiting on, in spite of the thoughts you think in your weaker moments, in spite of where you feel you’ve been forgotten by God, you speak it and mean it from your heart, “The Lord has been gracious to me.”
Because that’s where the joy flows.
Journal
Pray
Lord, You have been good to me. Forgive me for looking at things I wish were true and failing to rejoice in what already is. I don’t have what I’m going to have some day, but I have what You’ve provided for me. And in all of it, I want You to hear from me the acknowledgment that You are good. Keep me in the place where I can say it with all my heart, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Where Would We Be Without Christmas? | Revelation 5
Where would we be without Christmas? How dark would this world be without the light of Christ? What would we do if we didn’t have God’s Word?
There would be nothing important enough to celebrate or a message good enough for me to share in these weekend teachings.
God doesn’t want us walking in darkness and doubt, that’s why He clearly reveals His Word and His Son. Only God’s Word can change a human’s heart and shine a light in the darkness. Join us as we jump into Revelation 5 – and see God’s revelation to us!
Moving from Petition to Surrender
Matthew 26:36-46
How To Approach Heaven | Revelation 4
Do you wonder what it’s like in Heaven? Or how it will feel to kneel before God on His throne?
Revelation 4 gives us a glimpse into the throne room of God who sits now and reigns forever on His throne.
This weekend, let’s join the multitude of angels, who sing day and night, You “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!”
Experiencing the Holiness of God | Isaiah 6
In Isaiah 6, God’s prophet Isaiah sees an astonishing vision of heaven and God’s magnificence. When Isaiah encounters the Lord, he cannot help but see his own sin and weakness – his faults fully exposed. It is no different for us today.
In God’s presence, there is no room for comparison or way to hide… but even where sin is great, grace is greater still!
Pastor James has a special message leading into and out of this weekend teaching – join us as we encounter God in His Word and turn to Him in repentance and faith.
Everyday Joy Through Contentment | Philippians 4
The Apostle Paul was a follower of Jesus who suffered through imprisonment, hunger and persecution. Amazingly, despite those trials he declared, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
When we rejoice in what God has provided, we will not become overwhelmed by what we don’t have.
This Thanksgiving weekend, let’s be thankful for God’s goodness and content in what He has provided. Join us in Philippians 4 as learn “Everyday Joy Through Contentment”!
How To Remember The Lord | Various Scriptures
Don’t Shrink God | Ephesians 3
When God is big, problems are small… but when problems are big, God is small.
Struggles may weigh us down and our burdens may overwhelm, but God is never maxed out or too busy. He is always able to work abundantly, and deal with our trials in far more powerful ways than we could ask or imagine.
Get ready for “Don’t Shrink God!” in Ephesians 3 – He is greater than our problems!
One On One With Jesus | 1 Corinthians 3
Here’s an awesome truth: one day you will stand face to face with Jesus Christ.
In life, you build with the talents and time God has given you – but no one knows what you’re actually building until the judgment, when God will reveal our work for Him.
Knowing that God alone sees and will judge how we are living, let’s give our days to constructing lives that matter for eternity.
Lean into 1 Corinthians 3 to prepare for your “One on One with Jesus.”
If We Confess | 1 John 1:9 | Finally Free
Everyone who turns to addiction, does it to make their pain stop. Freedom from our bondage should not be about just escaping – we must deal with our pain and sin.
If you’re carrying a heavy weight, if you’re needing God’s forgiveness, don’t neglect the simple truth and amazing promise of I John 1:9… let’s find forgiveness and freedom from all of our sins.