It Ain’t Over Until It is Over – kenbarnes.us
But the Angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. Luke 1:13 ESV
God is not finished with you until he is finished. Your age does not determine your usefulness.
In the times of King Herod, a priest, Zechariah, and his wife, Elizabeth, were righteous people (Luke 1). Both of them were advanced in age, and Elizabeth was barren. One day in the Temple, an Angel told Zechariah that they would have a son, John, who would be great in the sight of the Lord. Zechariah responded in unbelief because of their age, and as a result, he could not speak. It was not until the baby was born and Zechariah named him John, as directed by the Angel, that he could speak again.
We can learn two things from this story. First, just because you have failed does not make you a failure. Yes, Zechariah responded in unbelief but then obeyed and had the joy of being the father of the one who would pave the way for the Messiah. I wonder what God showed Zechariah when Zechariah was quiet and could not speak. You often learn more about God through your failures than your successes.
Second, your age does not limit God, whether youth or old age. That is revealed to us by Abraham, the Father of the Nations, or the young man Timothy, who the Apostle Paul told never to let anyone despise his youth. I am not God, and I cannot tell how it will look for every believer. You may be directly involved or a strategic link to another generation like Zachariah and Elizabeth. Yet, God is not finished with you until you breathe your last breath, or if you are young when you rule yourself out because of past mistakes, or just because you’re young.
I am a septuagenarian and close to being an octogenarian, and God is not finished with me yet, and neither is God with you. We sometimes need to make some adjustments due to age, but that does not preclude our usefulness. My dear brothers and sisters of my vintage, it ain’t over until its over.
Image used by permission from Microsoft.
Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing and Broken Vessels through Kindle Direct Publishing.
Ken’s Website— https://kenbarnes.us/
Ken blogs at https://kenbarnes.us/blog/
Email- [email protected]
