As we continue in Luke’s Gospel this Sunday, Elizabeth gives birth to a son and, after nine months of silence, God loosens Zechariah’s tongue and he explodes with praise to the God who keeps His promises.

“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us… as He spoke by the mouths of his holy prophets of old!”

“…to show the mercy He promised and to remember His holy covenant the oath that He swore to Abraham.”

Isn’t it an amazing evidence of God’s mercy and kindness that he makes promises and oaths to us at all? He could just carry out His redeeming plans in the world and not bother to put it down in writing. He owes us no guarantees. He is God. He never lies. All His words are 100% trustworthy, and yet He’s made promises and sworn oaths to us. Why would He do this? Hebrews tells us.

“When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:17–18)

God understands our weakness. He knows that our faith is often feeble and that we are inclined to trust more in the circumstances we can see right in front of us than we do in the invisible God who never slumbers and is at this very moment working out all His good plans. So He assures us with promises, and as we see God faithfully fulfill what He has promised, our faith is strengthened and we are encouraged not to give up hope as we wait for Him to fulfill His promises that are yet to be seen.

Zechariah saw, in the miraculous birth of his son John, the glory of the God who keeps His promises and couldn’t hold in his joy. And His testimony and outburst of praise is a great help to us as we wait and pray and hold fast to the hope set before us – the Day of Jesus’ return, when “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15).”

This Sunday Junior Jamreonvit will be preaching Luke 1:57-80 and Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Please pray for each as they prepare. And let’s ask the Lord to give us strong encouragement this Sunday to hold fast to the hope set before us. And that, like Zechariah, with a fresh view of God’s faithfulness we would be people who can’t remain silent about it.

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

Song Link of the Week
Promises by Maverick City Music