“5There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:5-17)
An angel of God reveals himself to Zechariah, a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem, during the sacrificial service. Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, is barren and the angel informs Zechariah that their journey of anticipation and disappointment has come to an end—they will soon bear a child who will make an enormous impact on the world and drive multitudes to repent. Elizabeth conceives after hearing this message. She is destined to give birth to John the Baptist, who will later become Jesus’ teacher. Zechariah and Elizabeth live in Ein Karem, a village close to Jerusalem. Mary, their relative, comes to visit them and the three celebrate her and Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancies, both of which are part of a divine plan. We must never lose hope or give up. Rather, we should always believe in what is possible and continuously strive to fulfill our purpose in this world. The angel brings divine abundance specifically to the place where the divine presence is felt. John will become Jesus’ teacher. Divine abundance comes through those guiding us throughout our lives.
Mental strengths are the inner resources providing us with the strength necessary to face obstacles and challenges.
