Do You

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years." Luke 1:18

Zacharias was a priest of the Lord and was shocked when the angel Gabriel was waiting to speak to him when he entered into the Holy Place of the temple to offer incense to the Lord. I think I would be shocked to see an angel and then to have him speak to me and tell me that astounding things were going to happen in my life.

Think though of Zacharias' words, "How shall I know this?" he asked. I don't think this question all by itself is wrong, what I believe is that Zacharias, a priest of the Lord, doubted when the very God he served sent his messenger to tell him that his prayers had been answered. He was not a bad man, but this priest no longer expected new things from the Lord. "I am old, having a child is not God's will for me" he could have thought.

James says in James 3:17 that "the wisdom that is from above is first pure." You wonder why Zacharias was not thinking of the God above and all the miracles He had done in previous generations. Maybe as an old man he had seen too much pain, too much disappointment, sickness and death, so much so that he had stopped expecting great things from the God of the supernatural.

"Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her." (Luke 1:38) Mary had a different response. She also was fearful at first of the angel but responded in faith. Though she could not explain these pronouncements with earthly wisdom she was humble and believed.

Oh that we would be like Mary, believing though we are not seeing. Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, "Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."
The God we worship calls us to believe. Jesus was born of a virgin. Do you believe? He lived a perfect life without sin. Do you believe? He came to the world to show us how much He loves us. Do you believe? He was crucified, buried, raised and ascended to heaven with his blood to cleanse all who would believe. Do you?

Though Zacharias was a good and righteous man he had become familiar with the power of God. Mary had not. She was young and had the faith of a child. Because of this fact, she was able to accept that God would use her in His plan to save sinners.

Does God want to use you in His plan? I believe He does. Do you?