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Numbers 13 and 14, Joshua 1

5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5 and 6)

Here is the story of the Israelites going from Egypt to the Promise Land.  The Israelites were at the border of the Jordan and were planning on crossing over into the land God had promised them.  Moses sent out twelve men to spy out the land.  They came back and reported to the people.  Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, said there would be no problem crossing into the Promise Land.  Yet the other ten said no, there were walled cities, strong armies, and giants in the land. The people of Israel listened to the ten instead of Joshua and Caleb.  God was angry with Israel because they did not trust Him.  I thought of this story a few times during this move from one city to another. 

The Old Apartment

I had been living in my apartment for two years.  I hated the apartment for several reasons.  One was I had not had a working heater, other than a space heater since April.  My landlord would not come in and fix it because of COVID.  Another reason was a creepy neighbor who smoked.  He is a registered sex offender and I caught him looking in my window twice.  I could never be sure if he would do it again even though the landlord told him not to.  After all, the landlord told the creepy neighbor not to smoke inside the building and that never stopped him.  I have asthma and the smell of cigarettes causes a coughing fit.  Other reasons are a lack of storage and a serious mouse problem in the kitchen.  Even Princess, The Mighty Mouse Warrior, could not keep them under control.

In August, my kids independently told me they were moving to the Wausau area.  Wausau is a much larger city with a lot more job opportunities.  My oldest son was the first to move.  I went down to visit him the day after.  I was impressed with his apartment and suddenly I wanted a new apartment.  I got back to Rhinelander and started to think seriously about and prayed about it.  Yet, I could not imagine how I could possibly move.  God said Trust Me.

The Search

I started looking at apartments not really expecting anything.  I found a 55+ senior apartment and started the application process.  It was a lot of work and many papers to print.  After I sent off the first batch of paperwork I started to wonder if living in this type of apartment was what I really wanted.  I started to look at other apartments and found Fox Run apartments.  The 55+ place wanted more paperwork and a visit to the vet for Princess.  I filled out the application for Fox Run wondering where I would be able to come up with the security deposit.  God kept whispering to me Trust Me.  I sent the second round of paperwork and Fox Run’s application on a Wednesday.  The following Monday I called to make sure Fox Run had my application.  By Thursday I was approved.  (To this day I never heard back from the 55+ place.)

Suddenly I was moving to a nice two-bedroom apartment.  Heat was included in the rent.  No smoking within 25 feet of the building.  And best of all, a big kitchen with a dishwasher and tons of storage.  It was the promise land after being in the desert of my old apartment. 

Moving

Yet, moving is hard work!  At times I just wanted to give up and stay in the cold, ugly desert of an apartment and not move to the promise land of the new apartment.   The giants of moving were just too big!  All the planning and packing were wearing me down.  But God reminds me He is bigger than the giants that are keeping me from enjoying the promise land apartment. 

I am all moved in now. (somethings are still in my car, but they are here.)  I still have boxes in my living room to unpack and put away.  I had boxes in my living room for two years at my old apartment I had no room for, but I do now.  I have plenty of room in my big kitchen for all my kitchen stuff.  There are closets for coats, linens and all my clothes.  I also have a room for my office.  Right now, it is filled with boxes, so I am writing in my living room.  The boxes can wait. 

The Couch

During the moving time I fretted about a new couch.  I have not had a couch in about four years.  I had an old recliner which did not recline anymore.  I had no other nice chairs to sit on nor did I have room for them on account of the boxes in the tiny living room.  God said to Trust Him about the couch.  I looked on the marketplace and there were plenty of couches I could afford but I had no way of delivering a couch to my new apartment.  I thought of buying a new one at a furniture store, but I cannot afford that for now.  Then I saw a futon I loved at my Rhinelander Walmart which the Wausau Walmart did not have.  Again, I did not know how I was going to get it to my new apartment.  I was trying to sell my portable washer to pay for it but twice the sale fell through.  So, I was worried I would not have any place to sit in my new apartment.

Yet, God said Trust Me again.  I was telling a coworker I was having trouble selling my washer.  She came to me and said she would buy it from me.  That was Monday of moving week.  I told her what the money from the sale was going for and she said she had two blue chairs I could have.  Tuesday, I went on Walmart.com and found the exact same futon I saw at Rhinelander Walmart.  Better yet, there was a choice in colors, so I got a blue one.  After all, blue is my favorite color.  There was also two-day delivery, so I ordered it and sent it to my new apartment.  It arrived on moving day.

The Helpers

I also worried I would not have enough help moving.  My church ran an ad for helpers two Sundays in a row in the bulleton without my asking them to run it.  My Pastor said he would be there with a couple of guys.  I had asked friends to help but there was no guarantee anyone was showing up.  I set the time for loading for 11am on Thursday and called Uhaul to rent a ten-foot truck from them like I had the last time I moved.  After that I started packing like crazy and thought I will never get all this stuff in a ten-foot truck.  Last time I moved it was within the same city and we took two or three loads. 

The week before moving I was down at the Wausau Walmart trying to get transferred.  After I left Walmart, I went over to Fox Run apartments to drop off the paperwork from the vet.  Erin, the apartment manager was there, and she gave me my keys and told me I could move boxes in but not live there until the 28^th.  So, I thought I would go down as often as possible.

The Truck vs. The Trailer

I must have said something on Facebook about having to take down as much as possible to be assured there would be enough room in the truck.  My ex-husband Mark saw it and messaged me to get a six by twelve trailer instead of the truck and he would pull it with his truck.  It turns out by doing it that way it would save me a hundred dollars, so I called Uhaul again and reserved a trailer.  However, when I met Mark at Uhaul on moving day I saw the size and was worried it was too small.  Mark said it would be fine.  And it was.  Not only did we get almost everything in but about eight people from my church showed up to load the trailer.  It took them about an hour.  One of the older church ladies had dropped of sandwiches and stuff for the movers.  It was amazing!  When we got to my new apartment my niece came and helped unload.  She lives in a town about two hours from here.  It was a great day even though I only got a few hours of sleep the night before.

Conclusion

After forty years in the desert Joshua and Caleb led the people of Israel into the promise land.  God spoke to Joshua these words:

Joshua 1: 7-9

7Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

God wanted me to be strong and courageous.  He also wants me to Trust Him! Notice the verses say to study and meditate in the Word and follow it exactly. If you do you will prosper and succeed in all you do. Now that I am here, I am waiting to see why God has moved me out of the desert apartment into the promise land apartment.

A couple of books I recommend from:

Christianbook.com Home

Joshua: And the Land of Promise – eBook
By F.B. Meyer / CLC Publications

From F.B. Meyer’s outstanding biographies series of the great Biblical figures of faith, here is the exciting story of Joshua. Meyer shows the readers that the story of Joshua’s life can serve to strengthen readers in their faith in God. Seeing God deliver Joshua from his enemies will encourage believers to also look to God for deliverance.

One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land
By Priscilla Shirer / B&H Books

Modern day Christians often hear and understand the promises of God each Sunday morning at church but then rarely choose to experience them in everyday life. In One in a Million, Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer invites us to change that pattern for good, living beyond our circumstances and expecting to see God move in miraculous ways day after day. Without a doubt, we can find and follow God’s purpose for our journey. We can make it to the Promised Land! Trade paperback.

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Matthew 13:31-35

Parable of the Mustard Seed

31Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

One tiny seed.  I went to baking aisle at Walmart to find mustard seeds for this post.  I was amazed at how tiny these seeds are.  I did not purchase them because I am moving, and I do not need it any recipe I make currently.  So, I took a picture of the small jar for all of you to see how small the mustard seed is.  This tiny seed can grow into a tree. 

But what is Jesus really saying in this parable of the tiny seed?  The study helps in my Bibles say the Kingdom of Heaven will start small and grow worldwide.  We see this happening today with the world wide web available almost everywhere.  But what other ways, besides the Kingdom of Heaven, can we use the tiny seed growing into a tree? 

When I first read these verses this week and I thought of how my blog has grown.  Not necessarily in numbers but how it has developed over the last two years.  It started out small like a mustard seed with me not sure of where I wanted to go with content.  I wrote about prayer journals and hearing problems.  I also wrote about some mental health issues such as grief and loss.  Yet, I really did not have a certain niche which I could specialize. 

I called myself a multi-niche blogger for lack of something more concrete.  I felt being multi-niche I could write about anything. Yet I needed all my writing to be faith-based.

Then I started to write a series on Christianity and Mental Health (https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/christianity-and-mental-health/) which are still popular.  I thought that was where I was headed.  I even started a Facebook group under the title of Christianity and Mental Health you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2513278299000084

But then in Sunday School one morning the teacher talked about Rahab and I felt lead to write about her.  I did my research and started to develop the plan.  I also borrowed a book called the Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers, which had the story of Rahab written in a fiction-like fashion about her life. 

A Lineage of Grace By Francine Rivers / Tyndale House In this compilation of the five books of the best-selling Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers, we meet the five women whom God chose–Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Each was faced with extraordinary–even scandalous–challenges. Each took great personal risk to fulfill her calling. Each was destined to play a key role in the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.

I got the idea I could write Rahab’s story in first person in a short story format.  So, I did.  I was amazed because I did not know I could write fiction.  Before I knew it, I was writing stories in first person about several women in the Bible.  This is the Lesson Learned series found here https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/lessons-learned/   Each story comes with a short devotional at the end.  I love writing these stories and learn so much from them.

I also wrote three, so far, stories about men in the Bible under the title Second Chances.  I struggle with these stories because it is easier for me to write from a woman’s perspective.  My favorite one so far is the Prodigal Son.  It really tells the story of God’s love and forgiveness.

From time to time while reading my devotions I find a Psalm or another passage I feel led to write about.  I have written several.  These devotionals really touch my heart.

I also write about food and travel.  The food part I write posts which I put in my page called Dump in Cooking: A Lazy Chef’s Recipes.  There are several recipes on this page but you can get a free recipe book with more recipes under the same title by subscribing  https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/  Subscribing to my blog means you will receive emails from me telling you about my latest blog posts.  This started from a few subscribers to now eighty getting emails from me.  Would you like to subscribe?

I have not traveled as much as I would like but I hope to do more in the future.  I have been to Arizona to visit my sister and I wrote about my trip.  I also have been to Wisconsin Dells hundreds of times and I have written about a couple of places I have recently visited.  Finally, I have written about restaurants right here in Rhinelander.  I cannot wait to write about Wausau’s restaurants!

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But what is my niche and how does it relate to the mustard seed parable?  Most of my writing is either directly from scripture or from a Christian perspective.  People landing on my website can read about God’s love for them and learn about salvation.  People from all over the world have landed on my site.  I believe God is leading me to keep on writing for those people.  One may never know how many hearts I have touch this side of Heaven because of my blog.  It is my ministry and it is ever evolving.  Therefore I will continue to be a faith-based multi-niche Christian blogger.

In just a couple of weeks I will be starting over in a new city with a new job and a new church.  I do not know what God has in store for me there.  I am trying not to be fearful.  I know God is with me.  I am just a tiny seed, but God can make me grow into a wonderful tree.

Luke 15:11-32

This story hit me today as a perfect example of Second Chances.  We do not know the name of this young man and we are not even sure he really existed.  Yet Jesus tells us this story to show us God is always willing to forgive us even when we become like the prodigal son.  Scripture is written in the New Living Translation and is in italics.

The Prodigal Son’s Story

I am the youngest of two brothers.  My older brother is hard working and is responsible.  I am just the opposite.  Sure, I do what my father tells me to do but just enough to get by.  I would rather just hang out with my friends.  My older brother is married already and has a child.  He and his family live in their own house on our parent’s estate.  I live with my parents.  We are wealthy from our farm and I only have to help the workers feed and care for the livestock.

A Chance for Excitement

One day one of my friends received his inheritance and decided to move to a country south of Israel.  The country is known for gambling dens and exotic women.  He invited me to go with him.  I knew my friend’s inheritance was not as big as mine would be if I got it now instead of waiting for my father to pass away.  I bet my friend asked me to help support him when his money ran out.  Yet, I was drawn by the excitement of the far away country.  So, I made up my mind to ask my father for my inheritance now.

I could see the hurt in my father’s eyes when I asked him for my inheritance.  He asked me why I wanted it.  I told him I wanted to go with my friend to help him get settled in the other country.  I continued to tell my father my friend had just lost his parents and was heartbroken.  I wanted to help my friend, or that is what I told my father.  My father agreed and said he would have the money for me by the end of the week.

I guess my father had to sell a lot of his livestock to get the money.  I had assumed my father kept plenty of money around since we appeared to be wealthier than our neighbors.  I was wrong. 

Big City, Exotic Women

I got the money and my friend, and I headed south.  It took a few days until we came to a large city.  I could feel the excitement of the city.  There were vendors everywhere selling fine jewelry, carpets, and clothing.  My friend led me to a gambling house.  There I saw a beautiful woman I just wanted to get to know.

My friend and I won big that night.  The beautiful woman noticed me and came over and wrapped her arm around my back.  The wine seemed to be free and flowing.  I was having the time of my life.  Much after midnight my friend and I went back to the inn we were staying at and we each had a woman that night to keep us company into the wee hours.

The next day it was the same thing.  We won big and drank.  We went back to the inn with women and partied some more.  This went on the rest of the week.  I wanted it to last forever.

Yet, our luck started to change.  Then my friend lost his inheritance.  I still had plenty of money, so I just gave my friend a loan.  I am sure he will win big again and pay me back.  But he didn’t!  Instead, he lost it all then got into a fight.  My friend was drunk and decided to fight the biggest guy in the gambling house.  My friend lost the fight and his life that night.

I was devastated but after a few days of mourning the lure of the city called to me.  I went to another gambling house and there was the same beautiful woman.  When she saw me, she detached herself from the ugly guy she was hanging on.  The guy got mad and offered the woman more money to stay with him.  I was amazed.  I thought she liked me, but it turns out she was a prostitute.  But I wanted her anyways, so I offered her five times what the ugly guy was offering her.  She left him immediately.  He was mad but I could tell he was more defeated.  After all, I had money and good looks.

We spent the week going from one gambling house to another.  Most of the time I would win but the woman kept daring me to bid hiring hoping to win more money.  Then I started to lose more often.  I also noticed my woman’s eyes started wandering as my purse became smaller.  Finally, I was down to my last few dollars.  If I did not win big tonight I would be broke.  I did win a little but by the end of the night I had lost all my money and my woman.  I went back to the inn alone.  I knew I had paid up for three more nights, but I did not even have enough money to buy food.  I needed a job!

The Job

A job?  I did not want to work but my stomach started to growl.  I found a pig farmer who was willing to hire me on.  Imagine me, a Jew, working with pigs! Ugh!  Yet it was money.  Except since I had been partying so much, I did not know there was a famine going on.  I thought the farmer would at least feed me, but he said he barely had enough to feed his family.  I was not even allowed to eat what the pigs were eating.  The farmer was so sorry when it came time to collect my wages for the week, but he did not have any money because the famine was getting worse.  Now what am I going to do?  I am so hungry.

The Realization

Then it hit me!  Even my fathers hired servants have plenty of food and are well paid.  I should go back to my father and beg him to forgive me and hire me as a servant.  I do not deserve to be called a son anymore.

The journey seemed to take twice as long.  I was so hungry I stubbled and fell on the highway.  If it were not for a couple of women who spotted me and brought me home and fed me, I would never had made it home. 

As I neared my father’s land, I could see my father’s workers tending to their duties in the fields.  I was so ashamed I kept my head down hoping no one would notice me.  Then I heard someone running towards me.  I looked up and it was my father.  I was frightened as to what my father will do when he got close and learned I had wasted all his money.  I stood still with my head down and started to weep.

Home!

Suddenly, I felt my father’s arms wrapping themselves around me.  I was home!  I did not deserve to be here, but I was home!  My weeping increased and I could hardly speak.  I must tell him I thought to myself, I must!  Will he be willing to take me back as a servant?  Will he want anything to do with me at all?  Finally, I got the words out.  

“Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.  Please hire me to be your servant.  I have lost all my inheritance.  Please forgive me.”  My eyes remained focused on the ground.  Why did I come here?  How could my father forgive me after all the terrible things I have done? 

While I was thinking these things my father’s voice broke my train of thought.  “Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.”

I tried to argue with my father, but he would not listen to me.  My father hugged me all the way to the house.  The servants were scurrying around.  In no time at all it seemed there was a huge feast on the table.  My father beamed all through dinner.  I ate too much but it was all too wonderful.  I was home.  I am forgiven.  I never want to wander to worldly cities again.  I am loved!

Second Chances for the Prodigal Son

As I was writing the ending of this story it almost felt like God was telling me this is how it is when you get home to Heaven.  God is going to wrap His arms around me and hug me.  He has already forgiven me for all the times I have strayed.  He has a wonderful place for me in Heaven.  I will finally be home!  Are you forgiven and on your way home?

Below is links to affiliates I love and recommend. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a commission from the sale at no extra cost to you. This helps keeps this website running. Thank you for your support.

Christianbook.com Home

The Prodigal Son, Bible Study Book By Matt Carter The Prodigal Son Bible Study Book includes printed content for eight small group sessions, personal study between meetings, applicable Scripture, “How to Use This Study,” tips for leading a group, and other features.At some point we have all asked Is Christianity really working for me? or Is following Jesus really worth it? But what makes us ask these questions in the first place? Why are we so tempted by the allure of a life outside God’s design?Thankfully, Jesus addressed this question through the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son from the gospel of Luke. In this story, we meet a young man who demands his inheritance, then goes and squanders it in a far-off country away from the watchful eye of his father. When he finds that the world and its pleasures do not deliver on their promises, he arises and returns home.This Bible study walks through the parable verse by verse, showing us what it means to follow God and walk with Him in a relationship of love and commitment, and ultimately illustrating that the best life is found in the love of our Father.1. The Problem 2. The Lie 3. The Step 4. The Consequences 5. The Realization 6. The Speech 7. The Return 8. The Reunion

The Prodigal Son: An Astonishing Study of the Parable Jesus Told to Unveil God’s Grace for You By John MacArthur The Parable of the Prodigal Son still stands out as a crucial lesson about our struggle with sin and dependence on grace. Formerly released as A Tale of Two Sons, John MacArthur provides fascinating new insight into this famous story. Through captivating historical context, you’ll hear this parable as it was originally intended, and experience the richness of God’s love and forgiveness in a new way.

1Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. 2But as for me, I almost lost my footing.  My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

 3For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.  4They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.  5They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.  6They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.  7These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!  8They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.  9They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.  10And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.  11“What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”  12Look at these wicked people—enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. 

13Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?  Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?  14I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.

17Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.  18Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

21Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.

23Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.  24You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.  25Whom have I in heaven but you?  I desire you more than anything on earth.  26My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

I came across this chapter in Psalms.  It spoke to me.  I am not envious of the rich all the time because my head knows God supplies all I need.  Yet, I watch people.  It is my job to watch people.  I work at Walmart in the self-check out registers.  I see the nicely dressed people come in and buy steaks and seafood and sometimes wish I could afford more than hamburger.  Or at Christmas I see them buying hundreds of dollars in gifts and I cannot afford much. 

Am I slipping?

I just need to slip into church and realize I have it all in You!  I may not be rich as the world sees rich.  I am not sure I even want that!  But I am rich in knowing I am God’s and He is mine.  He leads me and counsels my heart.  Even more, God sent His Son to save me.  Jesus came to earth to die for my sins of wanting what the world has.  He rose again to assure me Heaven.  I am truly rich!

Yes, my body hurts and is getting older.  Sometimes I want to give up.  But God You are my strength!  You are mine forever! Are you slipping or do you slip into church to find all you need?

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A couple of books from Christianbook.com Home

Lost In The Middle: Midlife and The Grace of God

By Paul Tripp / Shepherd Press


The Bible never discusses midlife, just like it never discusses teenagers. Yet the Bible is able to unpack any of life’s experiences because it was written by the One who made them all. Life on this side of glory is hard. This world is a broken place. You will face things in midlife that beat at the borders of your faith, but you do not have to be lost in the middle of your story.

You do not have to be paralyzed by regret, defeated by aging, and discouraged by the passing of your dreams. You do not have to make greater trouble out of the trouble you are already experiencing. This time of life, which can seem like the end of many things, can actually welcome you to a brand new way of living. As is so often the case in your walk with the Lord, this moment of pain is also a moment of grace. Because of this, all of us need to occasionally step back, slow down, and consider where we are going. Lost in the Middle will help you to do just that.

One final word: Although this book is targeted at those who are struggling with the issues of midlife, it has a much broader net than that. Lost in the Middle can help all who are struggling with life in this broken world and have lost their way. The God who seems so distant to you in this moment is actually near and active. Lost in the Middle is written to give you eyes to see him, to see yourself more clearly, and to find the real hope that you need to carry on.

Your God is Too Small: A Guide for Believers and Skeptics Alike

By J.B. Phillips / Touchstone


In Your God Is Too Small, J. B. Phillips explains that the trouble facing many of us today is that we have not found a God big enough for our modern needs. In a world where our experience of life has grown in myriad directions, and our mental horizons have been expanded to the point of bewilderment by world events and scientific discoveries, our ideas of God have remained largely static. It is nearly impossible, Phillips argues, for an adult to worship the conception of God that exists in the mind of a child of Sunday-school age, the “God-in-a-box” notion, limiting God to such inadequate conceptions as “Resident Policeman,” “Grand Old Man,” “Meek-and-Mild,” and “Managing Director.” As a result of these insufficient ideas of God, many people live with an inner dissatisfaction, without any faith at all.

Your God Is Too Small explores the ways in which we can find a truly meaningful and constructive God for ourselves, big enough to account for our current experience of life and big enough to command our highest admiration and respect.

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Luke 1:5-58

Elisabeth plays a small role in the beginning of Luke as mother of John the Baptist.  She is a cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Her husband, Zechariah, was a priest at the temple in Jerusalem.  The Bible says they are old.  I am not sure what the life expectancy was around that time, so I am going to put Zechariah and Elisabeth around sixty years of age.  Too old to have kids but young enough to raise them.  I use the name Elisabeth rather than Elizabeth because that is how it is written in the King James Version and I liked it so well I named my daughter Elisabeth.  Scripture is in italics and from the New International Version of the Bible.

Elisabeth’s Story

Growing up in a priestly family you are expected to be extra holy.  I laugh because I was not any better than any of the other girls my age in my town.  We all dreamed of meeting Mr. Right and marrying and having lots of babies.  We got into mischief and had fun, but we were not particularly naughty.  When I reach fifteen, I began to get noticed by the boys in my town.  One caught my eye.  Zechariah, oh, he was so handsome and still is even though we are in our old age.  He must have noticed me too because my father announced at supper one evening Zechariah had asked to marry me.  I was so thrilled!  Me, of all the girls he could pick from, he chose me.  We were married on my sixteenth birthday!  We were so happy!

Years flew by and I kept wondering why I was not getting pregnant.  All my sisters had a house full of kids.  I started to think I was barren.  I became a great aunt to all my sister’s children and my other relatives.  One of my favorites was one of my mother’s cousins who just had a baby named Mary. 

Zechariah was a priest and he worked hard at the temple whatever duties he was assigned.  We had a good life just the two of us but deep down inside there was something missing.  Children of my own.  We were both almost fifty so having children was no longer a possibility.

An Angel Visit

One day, when we were sixty-six years old, Zechariah learned he was chosen, by lot, to burn incense at the temple.  He rarely received this duty since there were a lot of priest to chose from.  Zechariah went into the temple to the incense burner just outside of the Holy of Holies but behind the curtain.  There was a large crowd of worshippers there that day and Zechariah was thinking about his duties.  Suddenly, he saw an angel.  He was very frightened.  The angel said to him “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

“How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

The crowd outside the curtain started to wonder what was taking so long for Zechariah to come out.  After a priest burned the incense they came out around the curtain and said a priestly blessing over the people. 

When Zechariah did come out, he started to make signs he could not talk.  Many understood Zechariah had seen a vision.  They started worshipping the Lord.  Zechariah finished his week of duties and came home to me.  He got a wax tablet to talk to me.  He told me what happened.  I started to get my hopes up I would become a mother after all.  And I did!  I was so thankful I praised the Lord saying 25“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

The Visit

Six months later my tummy was really starting to swell but I have not felt the baby move yet.  Surely, if the baby were alive, he would have moved by now.  I did not lose hope because I knew this was a miracle by God.

My young cousin Mary was coming to visit.  She was the daughter of a favorite cousin of my mother’s.  I met her when she was just a little girl and now, she is fifteen years old and engaged to a man named Joseph.  I hear she has news.  I wonder what it could be as I already know she is engaged.

As soon as Mary walks in my door my baby started moving.  Moving so much I thought he was dancing in my womb.  My heart was filled and immediately I knew why Mary came to visit and what her news was.  It was as if the Holy Spirit whispered it in my ear.  I shouted with a song in my heart “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

It was a sweet time those last three months of my pregnancy.  Mary and I grew so close.  She stayed until after John was born before heading back to Nazareth. 

The Birth of John

John was born easily according to the midwife who helped in his delivery.  Zechariah was beaming although he still could not talk.  We learned to communicate well these past several months using sign language.  He could hear he just could not talk.

At the Temple

Eight days after John was born, we took him to the temple to be circumcised.  All our friends and some relatives were there, it was a joyous occasion.  When the priest asked what the baby’s name was several spoke out and said Zechariah.  I said “No! He is to be called John.”  Many looked confused “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” they stated.  Then they started to use signs to ask Zechariah what the baby’s name was.  I guess they thought he was deaf too.  Zechariah asked me for the wax tablet, and he wrote on it “His name is John.”  Suddenly, Zechariah began to shout praises and sing songs. 

76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

77to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

78because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

79to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

It was a glorious day!  John was a wonderful son.  He grew up knowing his cousin Jesus whom Mary had, six months after John was born.  Jesus was an incredibly special boy.  I wonder what they will be like as men.  Time for me to close my eyes and rest.  I have seen my Salvation.

Lessons Learned from Elisabeth

God’s timing is not our own.  While I was married my husband and I tried to have kids for fourteen years before giving up and adopting.  (See https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/my-adoption-story/ )  We were thirty eight years old when we went to the adoption agency and brought home our son Aaron.  A year and a half later we went and got Elisabeth.  They are both in their twenties now and I have grandchildren. 

Looking over my past I see God’s timing everywhere.  Many things led up to the point where I am at now, a writer who works part time at Walmart.  It has been two years since I started this blog.  I thought I would be making money by now.  Yet, as much as my wallet is empty my heart is full of God’s love for me and I know He always provides.  How have you seen God’s timing in your life?

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Women of the New Testament, LifeGuide Character Bible Study

Lydia shows us how to influence the people around us. Elizabeth’s life challenges us to care for others. Other women like Herodias and Sapphira warn us against turning away from God toward bitterness and dishonesty. In meeting each of these women, you will grow deeper in your understanding of what it means to be a disciple.

Twelve More Women of the Bible Study Guide with DVD

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First Lesson Free! PDF Study Guide

You’ll Study the Lives Of…

1. Proverbs 31 Woman (24:00)
2. Deborah (21:00)
3. Shulamite Woman (17:00)
4. Ruth (18:00)
5. Puah and Shiphrah (19:00)
6. Esther (21:00)
7. Priscilla (23:00
8. Mary and Martha (18:00)
9. Bent Woman (18:00)
10. Woman with the Issue of Blood (18:00)
11. Elizabeth (16:30)
12. Anna (20:00)

Approximate runtime: 233 minutes