The 40-Day Challenge : Day 4
- 24
- Jan
- 2013
The purpose of the 40-Day Challenge is not teach you how to talk to people about the Word of God, but to teach you how to examine yourself. – Viviane Freitas
“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” (Luke 1:14,15)
Because Zacharias was not worried about his personal life, God answered his prayer and promised him a genuine and permanent joy.
And not only that, but as a result of the righteousness and integrity of Zacharias and Elizabeth, many others would also have the opportunity to rejoice with the result of the promise.
God answers those whose lives are totally surrendered to Him in a supernatural way! The plan of God not only is to bless a person, but also to bless many others through that one person — His plan is great!
“…he will be great in the sight of the Lord…”
He would stand out not only for his parents, relatives and friends, but also for God! That is, he would deny his own will and the whims of his flesh to please God.
“He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit…”
To be filled with the Holy Spirit means, ‘Less of me, more of Him’.
When God answers our prayers and comes upon us, He wants to fill us. Nothing He gives us is temporary or transitory. It’s not a momentary pleasure, but something eternal and inexplicable, which no human being can give us.
And that was the joy of Zacharias: a son who would be an investment in the Kingdom of God. It was not about meeting his personal needs or fulfilling a dream — Zacharias was at God’s disposal, in other words, he allowed God to include him in a higher plan of salvation.
I’d like you to meditate on this: Do you find pleasure and joy in what God has given you? Have you put a smile on many people’s faces by allowing God to use you?
It’s very easy to read and speak about what happened in the past, but what about your life?
Have you been great in the sight of God?
Have you been selfish?
What influence do you have on other people?
How can you know this for sure?
I’ll answer this question in the next post…
Thandi
21st June 2018 at 8:12
Thank you for sharing Mrs Silvia, I have asked myself questions and have my answers, when we give selfless to God we become a blessing even to those around us.
Ada
4th January 2018 at 10:32
Thank you God plan is always to use me to bless others and for that I can not be selfish but instead allow Him to write the story of my life.
Marilyn
1st January 2017 at 19:32
I’m looking forward to your next post and I’ll take time to stop and see what I have done to please God and see how I can improve myself greatly to be at his disposal like Zacharias was.