Babies are the best! Just above my computer screen, I see a picture of my grandson, young Thomas Brooks nestled in my arms when he was less than a day old. In the next frame, Nory our granddaughter is holding on to her Mimi for dear life. Four years after Josie was born, we still ooh and ahh at her every word. Safe to say, their arrival has brought great joy in the Brooks household.
Elizabeth and Zechariah waited such a long time for John. Like Abraham and Sarah of old, they had given up on the thought of having a child. Then right on GST, God’s standard time, the baby predicted by Gabriel made his entrance. His father, silent since he found out about God’s plan, began to speak again, naming his son John and praising his God. Baby John became the talk of the whole hill country of Judea. “What then is this child going to be?” Why? For the Lord’s hand was with him.
The only hope for our babies, our families, our city, our country, and our world is that the Lord’s hand is with us. He still blesses babies. Not only is each birth a gift from God, but our Lord has plans for each child. He stays close as they grow and become strong. John’s birth was a portent, preparing the people with the possibility that God was on the move.
If we find ourselves in God’s waiting room today, take heart. He is not finished working yet. Just when things seem impossible, he reminds us that no word from God can fail. What has he promised us? Let us hold on to hope until he brings it to pass.
