After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, “The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1: 24-25
Elizabeth experienced a miracle. For years she was barren. For her, there was no hope that she would ever conceive. She was past the age of being able to conceive. Yet God gave her a child. She conceived at an old age.
In our world today, we are probably more apprehensive than the anticipation of anything good. God has created life. Even in this life of ours, we can feel barren and depleted. Maybe some of us can relate to Elizabeth in her season of being barren, where some of us can’t relate to the physical barrenness. What we all can relate to is we suffer loss and experience seasons of fruitlessness in our lives.
In Elizabeth’s culture, women who couldn’t produce a son were pitied. Her future was grim in her mind and the mind of the others. Can you imagine the struggle Elizabeth went through in resisting the negative labels that were put on her? We need to prepare our hearts to survive, but we can also thrive during this time. We all want and need love, joy, and peace. Sometimes, though, our feeling of barrenness conspires against us. During this season of barrenness, we have to be careful about who and what we listen to; the people who label us, our own voice of doubt and fear, or the promises of God.
Elizabeth did experience a miracle from God and had a child. It all happened in God’s perfect timing. Also, what was perfect timing as she had a cousin who was experiencing her own miracle, and they had each other’s companionship. It was perfect timing for her to instruct and care for Mary, a younger woman.
God will never fail you. His timing is perfect and trustworthy, even if it is years later or years earlier than expected. Whatever season of barrenness you are in, expect a miracle even if it isn’t how we expected it.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your timing, your perfect timing. As we follow your lead and don’t understand it all, I pray that we will still trust you in all things.
In Jesus Name
Amen
