Being a Conduit of a Greater Plan

I comb through the first two chapters in the Gospel of Luke at this time every year. And every year the Holy Spirit is faithful to illuminate a new nugget of truth. These two chapters are packed with treasure and miracles that are ripened and ready to pick. This year my aha moment came from the words of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. In Luke 1:25 it is recorded that she says, “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Between 2005-2009 my husband and I had some bizarre things happen in our life that eventually led us to a move to Tampa. Throughout this time we prayed fervently to stay in Jacksonville. The circumstances all seemed right but the answer we got was still no. It was a confusing and uncomfortable season. What we didn’t know but would later learn, was this move had more to do with the saving of a soul, and the adding to our family, and less to do with our comfort. David and I would see a much bigger plan unfolding and not just the upending our personal desires.  

And so it was with Elizabeth. 

If you were a woman and barren in the first century world, you were looked down upon, disgraced. It was even thought that you were perhaps cursed by God for some sin you committed. This is the condition Elizabeth finds herself in for most of her married life. However, the Scripture makes sure we know the gossip about Elizabeth wasn’t true. In Luke 1:6 it says, Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah, were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments. In the first chapter of Luke we not only find Elizabeth to be barren but she and her husband were old, far past child bearing years. I’m sure she wondered why God hadn’t answered their prayers for a child all those years and why He would leave His faithful servant in the uncomfortable position of being ridiculed by everyone she knew. 

When Zechariah returned home from his priestly duties in Jerusalem, he couldn’t speak. (Luke 1:20) Elizabeth had no idea that he was visited by the angel, Gabriel, while in the temple or that Gabriel told Zechariah that God heard his prayer and Elizabeth would have a child. 

When Elizabeth became pregnant she was ecstatic that she’d no longer be the disgrace of the neighborhood. Thus her proclamation, “The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” It wasn’t until she was in her sixth month that her cousin, Mary, would visit and the Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth.  At that time it was revealed that the child she was carrying would prepare the way for the Messiah. (Luke 1:39-41)

So many times the uncomfortable circumstances we might find ourselves in are not all about us. Though we tend to put our focus there. 

God’s plan is always for redemption. In Elizabeth’s case, the redemption of all mankind as her son John would prepare the way for Jesus.

God saw Elizabeth’s pain and He answered her prayer when the time was right and she was blessed beyond what she could imagine. “He will be a joy and delight to you and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-15) What more could a mother ask for?!

Elizabeth unknowingly was a conduit of God’s much bigger plan.

Next time you find yourself in a situation you’d rather not be in and you’ve prayed and prayed but things are still not turning out the way you hoped, consider this. You may just be a conduit of a rescue plan—the saving of a soul—one more for all eternity. And when you get to heaven that one more will be there to thank you.