SUNDAY December 10, 2023
The Bigger Picture
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Luke 1:21-25
A multitude of God’s people remained outside the Temple, praying, without any knowledge of what was happening inside. As time went on, they began to marvel. The word marveled means “to wonder, wonder at.” They wondered at Zacharias and why he was taking so long.
When Zacharias finally came out to them, they noticed something was wrong. He went into the Temple, speaking, and came out unable to speak. Speechless, Zacharias motioned to the crowd with his hands. They must have also wondered, What in the world happened to him? In the end, the people came to the right conclusion––Zacharias had seen a vision.
Finally, Zacharias went home. God opened Elizabeth’s womb in His perfect timing––she became pregnant. His Word came to pass. Others may have looked down on Elizabeth’s inability to have a child, but no longer; God had taken away her reproach. In her heart, she knew that God had answered her prayer at last. He had brought her incredible joy. What was happening in her life was a small part of a much bigger picture.
In our lives, sometimes we do not see the bigger picture of what God is doing. We just need to trust Him with what He is doing in our lives.
Never forget that God isn’t bound by time the way we are. We see only the present moment; God sees everything. We see only part of what He is doing; He sees it all.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
