A God Who Remembers | Luke 1:5-13

Devotional

Day 1: God Remembers and Fulfills His Promises

God’s remembrance is not about forgetfulness, but about His faithfulness to act in His perfect timing, especially in situations that seem overgrown, hopeless, or long neglected. Even when circumstances appear bleak and prayers seem unanswered, God is working behind the scenes to bring about His redemptive purposes. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth reminds us that God’s timing is always purposeful, and His delays are not denials but opportunities for hearts to be turned back to Him. In the Advent season, we are called to remember that God’s promises are sure, and just as He sent His Son once, He will fulfill all He has spoken. Trust that God has not forgotten you, even in seasons of waiting. [11:33]

Luke 1:13 (ESV)
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

Reflection: What is one prayer or hope you have set aside because it seemed forgotten—how might God be inviting you to trust His timing with it today?

Day 2: Faithfulness Does Not Always Guarantee Fruitfulness

Zechariah and Elizabeth were described as righteous and blameless, faithfully following God’s commands, yet they still experienced the pain of barrenness and unanswered longing. Their story teaches us that living rightly before God does not always result in immediate or visible blessings, and that fruitlessness is not a sign of God’s displeasure or curse. Instead, God calls us to remain faithful regardless of our circumstances, trusting that He sees and honors our devotion even when outcomes are not as we desire. Our faithfulness should not be conditional on what we receive, but rooted in who God is. [25:55]

Luke 1:6-7 (ESV)
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were

Sermon Summary

Advent invites me to remember. If there is no first coming, there is no cross or empty tomb; and if he came once just as he promised, he will come again just as he promised. In Luke 1, Zechariah and Elizabeth stand in a dark time under Herod, a bleak season where it could feel like God forgot. Yet God steps into overgrown circumstances—situations that look tangled, late, and past hope—to turn hearts back to himself. That is what “a God who remembers” means. Not that he forgets and then recalls—he is omniscient—but that in our felt forsakenness he makes his faithful care unmistakably tangible.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous and blameless, raised right, walking right, and still barren. Faithfulness does not always look fruitful on our timetable, and that does not mean God is punishing us. Nor can we let barrenness dictate our faithfulness; God is not a genie to be rubbed but a Lord to be trusted. I spoke from my own journey of loss and waiting: the ache is real, but so is God’s presence and goodness.

When the lot fell to Zechariah in the holy place, God sent an angel to the right side of the altar—the side of strength—to say, “Your prayer has been heard.” Which prayer? Most likely an old one. God reached back, took a prayer once prayed many times, and married it to his redemptive purpose in time. John’s birth would prepare the way for Jesus. That’s how God “remembers”: he weaves our petitions into his larger story, not to minimize our pain, but to magnify his promise.

I offered five ways God answers prayer—sometimes an immediate yes, sometimes a yes that teaches, sometimes a no because motives are misaligned, sometimes a no because he has better, and often a yes in due time. What feels like an immediate no can be a delayed yes. Like the farmer who made a customer wait to bring out the best grapes, God is not stingy—he’s preparing better. Advent declares that God pushes unlikely people into the center of the story to keep his promise. He has not forgotten; he is a God who remembers.

Key Takeaways

1. Advent anchors hope in remembrance Advent is not sentimentality; it is a disciplined remembering of the first coming that steadies us for the promised second. Remembering shapes desire, purifies fear, and keeps our hope tethered to God’s character, not our circumstances. If he kept the first promise in a manger, he will keep the last promise in glory. [02:17]
2. Faithfulness matters when fruit feels absent Zechariah and Elizabeth show us that righteousness does not guarantee immediate results, and lack of results does not mean God’s curse. Retribution theology collapses before their story—and ours. Keep walking blamelessly; don’t let barren places bully you into bargaining with God. [24:01]
3. God answers old prayers on time The angel likely pointed to a petition prayed long ago, now brought forward precisely when it served God’s redemptive plan. Our forgotten prayers are not forgotten by God; they are stored, sifted, and set within his wise timing. Stay attentive—his answer may arrive after you stop asking, but never after he stops caring. [36:46]
4. Delay often hides a better yes God’s responses include yes, teaching yes, no for misaligned motives, no because better, and yes in due season. What feels like refusal can be preparation, aligning our desires with his purposes and enlarging our capacity to receive. Waiting is not wasted when it forms us to steward the gift well. [39:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:17] - Advent sets the stage of hope
[05:29] - A God Who Remembers
[09:00] - Understanding divine “remembrance”
[11:33] - Overgrown circumstances, returning hearts
[14:57] - Herod’s dark reign; God shows up
[18:22] - Righteous couple, real barrenness
[24:01] - Faithfulness without fruitfulness; testimony
[30:44] - Priestly service; incense and prayer
[33:59] - Angel appears; fear and comfort
[36:46] - Old prayers, timely answers
[39:44] - Five responses to prayer
[42:56] - Moses and Job recalibrated
[46:15] - Waiting for God’s best
[48:25] - Closing Amen

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 1:5-13
5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But

Sermon Clips

been there done that doesn't work and that's both literal and spiritual that we can't allow the things the situations that we would like to happen for us the things that we know god is able to do but but for whatever reason he's decided to put a pause button in that particular area in our lives don't allow thatto dictate how faithful you walk before him because then you're treating god like a genie i'll serve you if you when i rub you you'll pop up with everything i wish for [00:27:26] (51 seconds) #FaithNotGenie

i'm sorry i kept you waiting saidthe farmer but i needed time to get you my very best here's what i'm saying god says i've not forgotten about you and every time it looks like i'm delaying i'm trying to give you my best you might consider his slack of promise or coming as a delay he says no i'm just trying to give you my best here is what advent says to us it says that god pushes unlikely people into the main line of the story to make goodon a promise that he has made and god simply says when i sent my son i've given you my best [00:45:41] (40 seconds) #GodGaveHisBest

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A God Who Remembers | Luke 1:5-13 | 2025 Advent