Luke 1:5-9 - "While He Was Serving..."

8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.   Dear friends, thank you so much for your prayers for Luke yesterday. The surgery went well. They found that a valve on the shunt was not functioning properly and were able to repair it. I think Luke woke up with a smile on his face with the pressure gone. He should be going home today from the hospital if the MRI shows that everything is working correctly. Thanks again and again for your faithful prayers!   Today in Luke 1:5-9, we will be talking about two ordinary people that God uses in an extra ordinary way! Zacharias ("Jehovah has remembered") and Elizabeth ("God is my oath") were a godly couple who both belonged to the priestly line. The priests were divided into twenty-four courses (1 Chron. 24), and each priest served in the temple two weeks out of the year. In spite of the godlessness around them, Zacharias and Elizabeth were faithful to obey the Word of God and live blamelessly.   Their only sorrow was that they had no family, and no doubt over the years they had made this a matter of constant prayer. But years passed and their prayer was never answered. This could have been very discouraging but despite their disappointment they continued to serve the Lord faithfully and blamelessly! Little did they know that God would answer their prayers and give them, not a priest, but a prophet! And no ordinary prophet, for their son would be the herald of the coming King!   This should teach us that God answers our prayers in His own timetable! In the meantime, we should remain faithful to the task that the Lord has called us to! God might put something in our hearts, a vision of something special, to pray about, and the years pass, and nothing happens. The vision dies and it now becomes impossible for the dream or vision to be fulfilled. “Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” My friend, that is when God delights to give a “rebirth” to our vision and do the impossible because only then can He receive the glory!   I love how Luke tells us this story! In verse 8, “So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God…”. This is usually the time that the LORD shows up! While we are serving! While we are praying! The priests on duty drew lots to see which ministries they would perform, and Zacharias was chosen to offer incense in the holy place. This was a high honor that was permitted to a priest but once in a lifetime. The incense was offered daily before the morning sacrifice and after the evening sacrifice, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was probably the evening offering that was assigned to Zacharias.   You have probably noticed in the Scriptures that God often speaks to His people and calls them while they are busy doing their daily tasks. Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro when the call came through the burning bush (Exod. 3:1). Gideon was threshing wheat (Judges 6:11). David was in the sheepfolds (Psa. 78:70). Elisha was ploughing when the prophetic mantle fell upon him (1 Kings 19:19). Peter and his partners were mending nets when Jesus called them. Matthew in his tollbooth. It is difficult to steer a car when the engine is not running. When we get busy, God starts to direct us.   I’ll never forget the old preacher saying, “Don’t despair! Don’t despair! But if you do despair, work on in despair!”   My friend, don’t give up! Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”   God bless!