Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 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. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 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.” (Luke 1:11–17)
Devotional
Have you heard of John the Baptist? It turns out he was quite a miracle himself. His parents were very old and unable to have children, but an angel named Gabriel came and shared that they would have a son. And THEY DID! Their son was John, who brought this message of preparation. Let this be a reminder that God is the God of promises and can turn even the most unlikely of circumstances into hope.
