“Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive and they were both very old.”
(Luke 1:6-7 NLT)
Today we begin the twenty-five day journey to Christmas. Advent is a dark season: short days, long nights, slowly marked off by a growing collection of candles and the increasing hope they represent.
Let’s start our voyage with Zechariah and Elizabeth… what uncomfortable truth do we find in the margins of their story? Sometimes righteousness does not produce an earthly return. We can go a good long ways with God and still wonder if we’ve backed the right horse. Sure, this barren and elderly couple would eventually cradle a son, but not every such empty-wombed couple is so fortunate.
So much of what we do here on earth is simply planting seeds for heaven. We won’t truly see the fruit of our cooperative Kingdom effort until our feet finally pad against golden streets. If we begin asking ‘Was this worth it?’ on this side of eternity, we’ll almost certainly come up short. It’s the spiritual equivalent of asking a laboring mother if pregnancy has paid off. She’s already endured nine months of nausea, swollen ankles, lost waistline and overall body invasion. She’s in the throes of pains so strong she can’t see straight. None of her sacrifice will feel worthwhile in crush of contraction. Her hard work has not yet come to completion. But stay in the room. When the newborn is finally nestled against her breast, then inquire of her gestation, labor and delivery, and I’ll bet she barely remember it.
The same is true of us, living believer. We are still in the thick and throes of living. We cannot possibly accurately assess the value of our choices on this side of heaven. We’ll know the weight of glory when we pass through the golden gates; only then will we see the true worth of right living.
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12 NLT)
“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.”
(2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT)
Don’t give up on righteousness before you’ve crossed the finish line. Don’t give in to the temptation to weigh your life before eternity steps on the scale. Learn from Zechariah and Elizabeth: wait on God and trust His ability to redeem all things. Don’t grumble and don’t succumb to the temptation that relentlessly dogs you. God isn’t finished yet. The rest of your story is still being written and if I know the Author at all, it’s a good one. You just haven’t gotten to the best part yet.
Dear Lord, forgive us for trying to resolve the dissonance in our story. Too often we forget that eternity has not yet tipped the scale. Your Word tells us that today’s troubles are light and momentary in comparison with heaven and we want to believe You. Help our unbelief. Stoke the hope of heaven in our hearts, give us a clear vision of the forever-life we’re moving towards. Help us walk in righteousness all the way up until that day. Amen.