March 30
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“Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.'” (Luke 1:18, NIV)

“’How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:34, NIV)

It is okay for us to wonder how God will deliver us, or how God will provide for us, or how God will work-out an unworkable situation. Such thinking challenges our creativity, and reminds us of God’s greatness. God always arrives; and God is always on time, but He often appears from a direction or in a situation we had not considered.

It is not okay to wonder whether God has the power to deliver us, or the resources to provide for us, or the know-how to ensure success.  This kind of thinking is an insult to our heavenly Father.

Today’s two scriptures are contrasts in these two ways of thinking about apparent impossibilities. In the former, Zechariah (the seasoned religious professional) questioned the promise, and was sidelined by God. In the latter, Mary (the simple, young, religious novice) questioned only the process while affirming her allegiance to the plan and the purposes of God.

To this day, Mary’s faith is heralded, while Zechariah’s insistence on “knowing before going” is a cautionary tale.

The next time God presents you with an opportunity to join Him in a task, will you respond as Mary — or as Zechariah?  – Luther

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March 28
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“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1Corinthians 11:1, NASB)

All of us are examples for others — like it or not.

As a disciple of Jesus, when people observe us, who is it they see?

Writing to the disciples in Corinth, Paul recognized the possibility that others will pay more attention to the follower’s words and deeds than to the documented life of the Leader.  Our daily challenge is to follow Jesus faithfully in all that we say and do, so that any time that anyone observes us they are seeing Christ at work.

The great 19th-century preacher Dwight L. Moody said: “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible; the other 99 will read the Christian.”

When the world “reads” you and me, who is it they see?  – Luther

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March 27
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““All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. . . The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6b, 8, NIV)

In the spring of each year, we are reminded of the splendor of nature as lawns and fields green-up; and flowers add color to every scene. It is wonderful to behold, but we know it lasts only for a season — even if it is repeated next spring.

Isaiah reminds us that we, too, are like the grass and the flowers: Magnificent in many ways, but also fleeting. In the context of more than 6,000 years of recorded history, even a lifespan 90 years is less than a dim flash.

Isaiah also reminds us that though we are less than a vapor, God’s word endures for all of time and eternity. If we desire any permanence in what we do or say, it must be enveloped in and consistent with God’s word. Such consistency comes only through the reading and the heeding of the scriptures.  – Luther

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