TWO RESPONSES, ONLY ONE WAS GOOD

LUKE 1:18 & 38 NKJ 
18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 

This is the famous account of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus.  

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and to Mary.  He brought the good news that two babies were coming.  To Zacharias, this was excellent news.  He and his wife Elizabeth had prayed for a baby for years.  But now they were too old.  But the angel said they were going to have a baby.  Zacharias did not respond well to this news.  "How shall I know this?" Or basically, how do I know you are telling me the truth?  Wrong response. 

When Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was going to have a baby even though she was a virgin, she responded well.  "Let it be to me according to your word."  Right response! 

APPLICATION 

What was the key difference in these two responses?  A simple matter of faith.  God had given older couples babies before, and Zacharias knew this. There was a precedent. In fact, Abraham and Sarah were the most well-known couple to the Jewish people.  They had Isaac when Sarah was ninety and Abraham almost one hundred.  But Zacharias chose to ignore what God had done in the past and did not believe the angel. 

Mary would be the first to give birth while still a virgin. There was scripture for this but no precedent, but Mary chose to believe the angel's message.   

Our best response to God's word is not, how is this going to happen?  But rather, Lord, let it be to me according to Your word.   

PRAYER 

Dear Father, I choose to believe Your word as it pertains to every area of life.  If You say I am forgiven, blessed, healed, righteous, and strong in Christ, then I am.  Let it be to me according to Your word.