The Chosen One Luke 1:8-12

“Once, when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him,standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him he was startled and was gripped with fear.” (Luke 8-12) NIV

Random Thoughts:

Once a year hundreds of priests from all the cities and towns in Israel would descend on Jerusalem to see who would be chosen to enter the temple’s most formidable and sacred, Holy of Holies. It was the highest honor a priest might experience once in a lifetime. It was also a terrifying task that moved worshippers to pray outside for the safety of the one offering incense to a holy god within. 

Question:

What is is that God has asked me to do lately? Am I afraid to do it and why? And are there others praying for me or am I attempting to serve God in my own power?

Journal Response:

I could be wrong--I haven’t had an angel give me my marching orders in person--but I’m pretty sure God had something to do with my selection to be a representative “voice” at tonight’s school board meeting. Granted, it’s no Holy of Holies and my mere presence will not win absolution for a nation’s sins but my sleepless hours last night are at least one indication that I am having a difficulty with my new status as the “chosen one.” I am convinced, however, that even in such a comparatively small deed, to help the children of our community something needs to be said and someone needs to say it. 

Tag, I’m it.

And so I am afraid. Afraid my nerves will choke my voice, afraid my words will not move the hearers, afraid of looking or sounding ill-informed or foolish. But thankfully I will not be alone. I have asked many of my friends to pray that God would give me the courage to say what needs to be said and a demeanor that is respectful and kind while I say it. 

There are many aspects of my life that, frankly, if I didn’t have the prayer support of a few friends, I don’t know how I would manage. There are a host of must-dos that compel me to act because I want to obey the God I love but that can fill my heart with fear even as I attempt them. Knowing I have friends to pray for me--and I them--makes all the difference as I try to put one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. 

It wasn’t always so, however. It was this very passage about Zecharias that first made me realize some 5 years ago during a family crisis, that I had no one to go to for prayer. It made me realize that journeying “alone”, while attending a church of 3,000, was not the way God wanted me to live. It’s true that God chooses us for assignments that at times are for us alone but being “alone”, is never part of the plan. Thank goodness. Thank God.