Two thousand years ago, Elizabeth wanted children. In her culture, children were her priority. She didn’t have any, therefore others looked down on her. Her society wrote her off as too old to be a successful Jewish woman. She was too old to have children. She was barren and her life was also. How did her life get to this dead-end? Was this God’s plan for her life?
We read about Elizabeth’s problem in Luke 1:5-7. She and her husband were faithful. God was pleased with them. So why didn’t God let her have a child? Wouldn’t a loving God have given her a child while she was young enough to keep up with a baby/toddler/kid? Did He want Elizabeth’s neighbors to look down on her as a failure? Couldn’t God’s plan have been better?
God’s plan was better than any plan Elizabeth could have made. In her ideal world, she would have started having children early and often. She would have had a noisy house full of little ones running around inside and out. But God had different plans, better plans.
We read later in the gospel of Luke that she did have a child. He was the greatest of mankind ever born (Luke 7:28). Elizabeth could not have dreamed of having such a child. God’s plan was better.
But then an evil ruler beheaded John while he was in the prime of life. This must have been a low point for Elizabeth. Still, God’s plan was better. John accomplished his mission to prepare Israel for Jesus. When John’s job was done, God brought him home, forever. God’s plan was better.
Our culture doesn’t value the same things as ancient Israel’s did, but our culture still makes judgment calls about who and who is not considered successful in this life. Most of us fall on the failure side of those judgments and only a lucky few strike it rich, or famous, or powerful. Do you feel like society tells you that you are a failure? Maybe you feel your life is headed nowhere? God’s plan is better.
Just give Him a chance to prove it.
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
