Want to feel like a NASCAR driver?
Maybe not. Earlier this year, the New York Times told the story of Kevin Lepage, who left NASCAR after a 20-year career that included more than 550 races. When he walked away, no one said goodbye or called him. His departure was unnoticed, which brought stabs of pain. “They didn’t care about me when I was there,” he said, “and they didn’t care about me when I left.” Many other drivers have felt the same way, and now the racing association is forming an Alumni Network to help ease the problem.
Perhaps you feel unappreciated too. At home, at work, at church. Does it seem others simply don’t see you? Though I’ve been blessed in my life, I’ve experienced the sense of being treated thoughtlessly. That’s why the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel came alive to me as I studied it in preparation for writing my book: God Hasn’t Forgotten You: 24 Remarkable Ways God is Working in You and Through You.
We often skip Luke 1 because the Christmas story is told in Luke 2. But we shouldn’t forget about Zechariah and Elizabeth. God had not forgotten them, nor had He forgotten His people, Israel. This chapter is chock full of insights for those who sometimes feel neglected, alone, or underappreciated.
Obscurity Has Nothing to Do With Our Value to God
Luke 1 says Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in “a town in the hill country of Judea” (Luke 1:39, NIV). We’re never told the name of the town. It was an inconspicuous village somewhere on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Zechariah and Elizabeth were simple villagers who lived alone in a modest house, and their names were known only to their neighbors and a few relatives. Yet the eyes of God ranged through the hills of Judea to find a humble home in which to raise the forerunner of the Messiah.
In our sports and entertainment drenched world, lots of people thirst for fame and fortune. But you shouldn’t worry too much if you’re mostly unseen and unsung. The Bible says, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isaiah 57:15, NKJV).
I once asked Ruth Bell Graham how her husband, Billy, handed the fame and attention that surrounded him. “He doesn’t notice it,” she said. “It’s all just hard work to him. We would have been just as happy to have spent our lives serving the Lord as missionaries in a jungle with no one knowing our names.”
I believed her. If God has blessed you with a small place, a simple life, and a humble heart — well, rejoice in that!
Age Has Nothing to Do With Our Value to God
I’m also encouraged by Luke’s description of Zechariah and Elizabeth: “…and they were both very old” (Luke 1:7, NIV). I’ve been around the sun 73 times. When I turned 71, I read Psalm 71 and came across verse 18: “Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come” (NKJV). I wrote that verse in my prayer journal and asked the Lord to give me young people to encourage and mentor.
He has answered in two ways. First, I try to spend time with my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some have even come to live with me. Second, I’ve discovered I can hang out with the young adults in my church, and they value my presence. This came as something of a surprise to me. I wasn’t sure they would listen as closely as they do when I speak at their gatherings. I’ve also discovered how much young adult men long for a mentor.
I’ve reached the conclusion that our usefulness for the Lord doesn’t diminish with age; it grows.
Perfection Has Nothing to Do With Our Value to God
Zechariah and Elizabeth were described as “righteous in the sight of God” (Luke 1:6, NIV), but that doesn’t mean they were perfect. Zechariah flubbed up almost as soon as the story began. Remember how the angel Gabriel showed up in the Holy Place of the Temple just as Zechariah was pouring incense onto the coals? The old man was startled by the angel, but Gabriel told him not to be afraid. He had a message. Zechariah and Elizabeth, despite their advanced age, would have a child.
Now, Zechariah was not an atheist or agnostic. He truly believed every word of the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament), and he had served the Lord faithfully for years. But in that moment, standing amid the flickering flames of the Temple candelabra, his faith faltered. He forgot Abraham and Sarah had also birthed a child in their old age. He questioned and he doubted, so the Lord gave him a rather unwelcome sign — he wouldn’t be able to speak until the child was born.
Though Zechariah’s lapse caused problems for him, it certainly didn’t hinder the operation of God or the work the Lord was planning to do through him and his wife. I’m actually thankful Zechariah bumbled his big moment, because I’ve often done the same thing. God doesn’t define us by our gaffes, but by His grace.
Jesus Has Everything to Do With Our Value to God
Zechariah and Elizabeth went on to learn that it’s all about Jesus. In the fullness of time, God chose this aged, barren, obscure couple to open the New Testament era and pave the way for the Messiah. They had served the Lord all their lives — growing in grace, flourishing in faithfulness, and waiting for God to keep the promises He had made to Israel. They lived to see BC turned to AD. Their lives became the catalyst for Christ’s entrance into the world. God had not forgotten them; He had not forgotten Israel; and He has not forgotten you. Jesus was about to change everything!
So don’t evaluate yourself by the measurements of our culture. Cast out self-pity. Just center your life around the Lord Jesus Christ through fresh daily commitment and fellowship in His Word, and He will bless and use you in ways unimageable.
Even if you’re a NASCAR driver.
Through the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, we are reminded that God remembers us and keeps His promises. In God Hasn’t Forgotten You: 24 Remarkable Ways God Is Working in You and Through You, Robert Morgan dives deep into Scripture around the birth of the Messiah and helps us discover the glorious, victorious life that awaits us in Christ.
God intends to give you Spirit-filled life and a Christ-centered victory. He intends to use your preordained personality for His preordered purposes. Zechariah and Elizabeth want to tell us that God delights in sneaking up on His children with blessings unforeseen, with grace from above, so that we can experience a glorious, victorious life through Jesus.
Robert J. Morgan teaches the Bible each week on his podcast, The Robert J. Morgan Podcast, and through his speaking engagements and his books, including: The Red Sea Rules, The Strength You Need, 100 Bible Verses That Made America, The 50 Final Events in World History, and Then Sings My Soul. He also serves as associate pastor at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
