12.1.25 Luke 1:67-80

12 January

Prepare

Psalm 9:1 says, "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart."

Take a moment to be still with a thankful heart.

Read – Luke 1:67-80

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David

(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

salvation from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us—

to show mercy to our ancestors

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

and to enable us to serve him without fear

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Reflect

Zechariah’s song, known as the Benedictus, overflows with praise, prophecy, and hope. It celebrates God’s faithfulness, His promises to redeem His people, and His tender mercy.

Imagine being in that moment, Zechariah finally able to speak after months of silence, proclaiming these powerful words with joy and conviction. It’s a beautiful song.

I’m struck by that last verse, in the midst of the reflection of how amazing God and what he does for us is. John says “the child grew and became strong in spirit”

Be

Lord, we thank you for your tender mercy that shines light into our darkest moments.

Help us to rest in your promises and praise you for your faithfulness, just as Zechariah did.

Become

Jesus, shape us into people who grow and become strong in Spirit. Help us to understand what that looks like.

Do

Zechariah was made aware of the awesomeness of God. In that context his son John grew and become strong in spirit.

How can we create an environment in our homes so that we and other people who might live with us grow in spirit?

Practice:

Spend time reflecting on your own spiritual growth. Do you think you have grown in the last year? In what ways have you matured spiritually in the last year?

Regardless of your answer to that question, we’re not trying to make you feel guilt, we would love you to think about what would make you feel stronger in spirit in a year’s time. Zechariah praised, reflected, heard from God. Why not pick a practice today that will help you develop your spiritual life? Maybe praising God every day, maybe thanking him, maybe being in silence and trying to listen to God, maybe reading the Bible every day, maybe making sure you stick to our devotional. Think of one thing and how you might put it into practice next week.