Peace In The Waiting

 ELIZABETH PEACE IN THE WAITING

Read Luke 1.24-25, 39-45, 57–61

Have you ever had to wait for something you really wanted? Maybe you're waiting for something now - whether it's a new phone or your high school graduation. Waiting is hard. Waiting with a good attitude, though, is even harder. Not many people can do that, but the woman we meet in our reading today shows us what this looks like.

Through her story, Elizabeth teaches us that we can trust and obey God, even in the midst of our longing and waiting, because He sees us, cares for us, and offers us the answer to our deepest longings through Jesus Christ.

Meet Elizabeth

When we were introduced to Elizabeth in yesterday's reading, we learned that she is a very old woman and that she like everyone around her, believes she can't have children. Like we read in Abraham's story, children were a sign of God's favour, and they gave one's life meaning. Not having children, then, would have made Elizabeth feel like an outcast. In fact, she likely spent her days wondering what was wrong with her and why she was unable to have children.

Because people in Elizabeth's day lived in very close quarters with each other, she would have had to watch all her friends and family members announce pregnancies, give birth, and raise children, all the while feeling disgrace amoung the people for never having her own longing for children met (Luke 1.25). But we read yesterday that even in the midst of her hurt and longing, Elizabeth remained righteous and was considered faithful in the eyes of God (Luke 1.6-7). She wasn't invisible to Him. God didn't see her as shameful but as righteous and worthy to be part of His plan.

One day, Elizabeth's husband comes home from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the holy place in the temple, and he can't speak. Elizabeth was likely quite confused and frustrated. We aren't told what happens next, whether or not Zechariah finds a way to tell his wife what happened to him in the temple and why he can't speak. But we do know that sometime after this event, Elizabeth realizes she is miraculously pregnant and hides herself away for five months.

While it would have been natural for Elizabeth to feel fear or worry during this time, Luke highlights quite the opposite. Instead, he shows us how she was full of joy and gratitude, saying to herself, 

"The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favour in these days to take away my disgrace among the people" (Luke 1.25). 

She doesn't respond with, "It's about time!" Instead, she immediately acknowledges that God is good and has granted her this blessing. 

God continues to bless Elizabeth and show His favor upon her. Her young cousin Mary, who is pregnant with Jesus, soon comes to visit her, and when Elizabeth hears Mary's voice, she is filled with the Holy Spirit. She realizes who Mary's baby is, recognizing that she is in the presence of her Lord. In response, she offers a humble blessing over Mary,

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!" (Luke 1.45).

Elizabeth then plays a part in one final act in this story when, at last, her son is born. Once again she faces the challenges and pressures of the society around her. Her husband can't speak, and all her relatives surround her, telling her how things ought to be. The tradition in her day was that firstborn sons should be named after their fathers, but Elizabeth does not budge. She knows what God has said and is determined to be faithful and obey His command. "He will be called John," she says (Luke 1.60).

Elizabeth's Trust in God

It's easy to think that this kind of pure trust in God can only be demonstrated by great people in rare and important circumstances. But the important thing about Elizabeth's story isn't that she is miraculously given a child when she is a very old woman. Elizabeth's story begins long before that, in her waiting and longing. She chooses to pursue righteousness and trust God even before she receives His blessing. Her response to the good things in her life is an outpouring of her response to the hard things.

What Does This Mean for Me?

From Elizabeth, we can learn that God sees us in all stages of our lives, whether we're experiencing disappointment, shame, and difficulty or whether we're experiencing joy and blessing. We can trust and obey God in all seasons, knowing that He is faithful. He sees us, He sees our longings and our hurts, and He knows what is best for us.

Maybe God will provide those specific things we long for in our future as He did for Elizabeth, but maybe, in His perfect wisdom, He won't. Yet we can still rejoice, like Elizabeth, at the coming of our Lord Jesus. For He is the true fulfilment of all our longings. In Him, we find acceptance, freedom from shame, and a call to live a meaningful life. When we embrace the gift of Jesus Christ and choose to trust Him, we can have peace in the face of all circumstances.

Application Questions

What are you currently waiting and longing for? 

How can you be faithful and obedient to God in this season?

In what ways is Jesus the answer to your specific desires and longings?

Pray and ask God to give you His peace in your current season of life.