⭐ Week 2 — The Light of Promise
(Sunday Devotional)
Luke 1:5–25; 57–80
Welcome to Week 2 of Christmas Lights. Today we look at Zechariah and Elizabeth — two faithful servants living in waiting, longing, and silence. Their story is one of faithful service, unanswered prayers, disappointment, doubt, and a God who remains faithful to every promise He makes.
🌟 Reflection
Before the angels sang in Bethlehem…
before shepherds ran through the night…
before Mary whispered yes…
there was a promise.
A promise spoken into an old priest’s heart.
A promise planted in a barren woman’s breast.
A promise given long before it was seen.
Luke tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth were “righteous in God’s sight,” yet “they had no child” (Luke 1:6–7). Faithful people carrying unanswered prayers. Longing hearts shaped by years of silence. This is where doubt grows — in the long space between belief and reality.
And this is also where the story of promise begins — not in celebration, but in aching hope.
Then… a light breaks in.
Gabriel appears and speaks the words Zechariah never expected to hear:
“Your prayer has been heard.” (Luke 1:13)
Even with an angel standing before him, the promise feels too big, too late, too impossible. Zechariah responds with doubt — not rebellion, but the honest disbelief of someone who has been disappointed too many times.
And yet, God does not withdraw His promise.
His promise doesn’t erase the years of waiting — it redeems them.
Zechariah’s doubt doesn’t cancel the blessing — but it does cost him something.
Months of silence follow.
Months where Zechariah cannot speak but must learn to trust.
Months where Elizabeth carries both a child and a fulfilled promise.
Months where God works quietly, faithfully, steadily in hidden places.
Gabriel had said the promise would be fulfilled “at the proper time” (Luke 1:20).
And when the time comes, Zechariah’s voice returns with worship, not doubt.
His first words declare the sunrise of God’s mercy:
“Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us.”
(Luke 1:78 NLT)
What began as a promise becomes a living testimony.
The child in their arms is a sign:
God finishes what He starts. (Luke 1:20)
What He speaks, He fulfills. (Luke 1:13–14)
What He promises, He brings into the light. (Luke 1:16–17)
Maybe this week you’re holding onto a promise buried under time, silence, or discouragement. Maybe you’ve begun asking, “Has God forgotten me?”
Here is the truth Scripture gives us:
God is good, does good, and desires good for His children. (James 1:17)
His timing feels slow only to us. (Lamentations 3:25–26)
Unchanged circumstances are not the same as unanswered prayer. (Isaiah 58:9)
He is never absent — He is near, attentive, compassionate, and listening. (Psalm 34:18)
If Zechariah and Elizabeth teach us anything, it is this:
God’s promises are certain, even when they feel delayed.
And when the Light of His promise breaks through, it changes everything.
“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.”
(Luke 1:76–77)
What God begins, God completes.
🙏 A Prayer
Lord, thank You for being the God who loves me, knows me, remembers me, hears my prayers, and fulfills every promise in Your perfect time. When I cannot hear Your voice or see Your hand, help me trust Your heart and Your promises. Let the dawn of Your promises break over my life this week. Amen.
🕯️ Response for the Week
Choose one of these to meditate on through the week. Bring your thoughts to the Lord, and with whatever the Holy Spirit reveals, take tangible steps of obedience.
1. Where are you waiting on God?
Write down prayers that feel unanswered.
Ask the Lord:
Is this “not yet”?
Is there something I need to see or surrender?
Is there someone I need to forgive, bless, or encourage?
Let God speak. Write it down.
2. Choose one promise from Scripture.
Pray it back to God.
Ask Him to fulfill it in your life.
Memorize it.
Place it where you’ll see it often (fridge, mirror, dashboard).
Repeat it each time you see it.
Make this promise part of your daily rhythm.
3. Reflect on any prophetic word spoken over you.
Write it down.
Has any part of it come to pass?
How did it feel then? How does it feel now?
Are doubt and fear louder than faith and hope?
Ask the Lord to speak truth into that place.
🎁 A Gift to Share
If someone in your life might need encouragement this season—or if you’re participating as a family or small group—you’re welcome to forward these emails or invite them to subscribe:
👉 thisistheway.live
Sometimes the smallest invitation makes the biggest difference.
Read the full series here: https://thisistheway.live/t/christmas-lights