Showing Up in Waiting: God With Us

Devotional

Day 1: God breaks into ordinary with unexpected promise

You keep doing the next right thing, and God can interrupt the ordinary with extraordinary news; a routine shift, a quiet task, becomes the place of new beginnings. The promise to Zechariah — that a son would be born and that he would prepare the way — shows that God sometimes arranges the miracle in the middle of faithful duty. Remain present to your daily calling; God’s entrances often come when life feels most ordinary. [08:49]

Luke 1:13-17 (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. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Reflection: What ordinary place or routine in your life feels most mundane right now where you could begin to expect God to break in — and what small step can you take this week to show up there differently?

Day 2: Doubt does not cancel God's faithful work

You may have questions and even doubt, and yet God’s purposes continue to move forward; silence or struggle doesn’t mean absence. Zechariah’s honest question led not to punishment without purpose but to a sign that God’s word would be fulfilled in time, even while his voice was stopped. Trust that God’s timing and ways can be stranger than your doubt and still true. [05:18]

Luke 1:18-20 (ESV)
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

Reflection: When have you found your questions met by God’s timing rather than instant answers, and how might you live with that tension this Advent without letting doubt stop your faithful action?

Day 3: Faithful living amid silence and shame

Even when life carries grief, shame, or long seasons of silence, keep living a life of righteousness and faithful devotion. Zechariah and Elizabeth were described as righteous and faithful even though Elizabeth’s barrenness brought cultural shame; their faithfulness did not pause because of their waiting. Let ordinary faithfulness be your witness when circumstances feel unjust or isolating. [02:24]

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 advanced in years.

Reflection: Identify one faithful practice you can keep doing this week (prayer, visitation, service, Sabbath) even as you carry a painful or shame-filled waiting — what will you commit to, and when will you do it?

Day 4: God's plan often arrives through humble obedience

God’s announcements come to those who are willing to receive a humble call and say, “Let it be,” even amid uncertainty and risk. Mary’s response models a posture of openness and trust that lets God accomplish what seems impossible, and that same posture invites God into the ordinary places of life. When God calls, obedience creates the space for the impossible to be born. [12:20]

Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Reflection: Consider a tender or risky “yes” God might be inviting you to give — what is one concrete, humble step of obedience you can take this week toward that yes?

Day 5: Emmanuel: God present in the waiting

You are not forgotten in the long seasons; Emmanuel means God is with you even in the quiet, mundane, and aching moments. The Christmas story names a God who doesn’t only arrive at the end but stays in the waiting itself, sharing the tender ache and everyday duties with you. Keep showing up — God is already present in your hill country. [15:13]

Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Reflection: In what specific part of your daily routine do you most need to believe that God is with you, and what simple practice will you adopt to notice God’s presence there this week?

Sermon Summary

What are you waiting for? I began with Dr. Seuss because he names the ache we all feel—everyone is just waiting. In Advent, that ache becomes honest, and we let it lead us to Jerusalem, the city where the temple stood and where Israel longed for a Messiah. Most expected a military liberator to overthrow Rome, but beneath that national hope were tender, personal waits: test results, reconciliation, purpose, the ache for a child. Into that landscape we met Zechariah and Elizabeth—righteous, faithful, and carrying the pain and shame of barrenness in a culture that misread suffering as divine disfavor. Yet their waiting was not passive; they kept showing up. They served, prayed, lit incense, and walked with God when the heavens felt silent.

That’s the invitation Advent gives us: active waiting. It looks like doing the next right thing when answers are delayed—writing the resume again, going to therapy, making the call, keeping Sabbath, telling the truth, extending kindness. It’s remaining present to ordinary life instead of freezing our lives until some breakthrough arrives. And it is often within those ordinary routines that God breaks in. Zechariah wasn’t staging a miracle; he was on shift. In the middle of a normal day, Gabriel delivered impossible news—John would be born—a joy Zechariah couldn’t even announce because doubt cost him his voice. Imagine trying to cradle a miracle in silence.

Back in Jerusalem, the city waited in the dark for a deliverance they couldn’t see—just as we do. The dawn was closer than anyone imagined. The Messiah was coming, not with soldiers, but as a baby; not to topple Rome, but to topple death. John would prepare the way. The waiting wasn’t wasted. The silence wasn’t God’s absence; it was the hiddenness of God at work—in a modest priest’s routine, in a barren womb, in the hill country far from the spotlight.

So what are you waiting for? Emmanuel means God with us—not only at resolution, but within the unresolved middle: the long months of quiet, the steady work of faithfulness, the ache of deferred hope. You are not forgotten. Keep showing up. Keep doing the next right thing. Leave space for God to break into your ordinary Tuesday with extraordinary news. The dawn is closer than you think. Amen.

Key Takeaways

1. Practice active, not passive, waiting Active waiting is choosing presence over pause. It is refusing to let desire for a future outcome rob today of obedience and attention. Faith grows sinew when we keep doing the right small things, even when God feels quiet. Showing up becomes a prayer that shapes us. [05:18]
2. God often moves in the mundane Zechariah wasn’t seeking spectacle; he was on duty. The holy often breaks in where we’re simply faithful, not flamboyant. When our hands are steady at ordinary tasks, our hearts are positioned to notice the extraordinary. Routine can be the runway for revelation. [08:49]
3. Silence is hiddenness, not abandonment God’s quiet does not equal God’s absence. Often, the most important work is germinating beneath the surface where we cannot see it yet. Waiting stretches our trust so that when the dawn arrives, we can carry its light with humility. Darkness can be the womb of newness. [12:20]
4. Emmanuel meets us in deferred hope God is with us before the door opens, while our knuckles are still sore from knocking. Presence becomes provision: courage for the next step, tenderness for our own hearts, and patience to live unhurried by fear. Withness is God’s first gift; outcomes follow in their time. [15:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - What are you waiting for?
[00:45] - Dr. Seuss and the waiting room
[02:24] - Jerusalem’s longing for Messiah
[03:30] - Personal hopes inside a waiting city
[04:25] - Zechariah and Elizabeth introduced
[05:18] - Active waiting vs. passive waiting
[06:45] - Faithfulness in ordinary routines
[08:49] - Gabriel’s announcement and Zechariah’s doubt
[10:30] - The silence of unshared joy
[12:20] - John: “Prepare the way of the Lord”
[13:40] - Emmanuel: God with us in waiting
[15:13] - Keep showing up; the dawn nears

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 1:5-25
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 they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 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. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." 19 And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out he could not speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. 23 And he remained mute until the day of the bringing of his son. 24 And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

Observation questions (3-4)

What phrases in Luke 1:6–7 describe Zechariah and Elizabeth’s spiritual standing and their social situation? How do those details create a tension in the story?
In Luke 1:11–20, what exactly does the angel promise, and how does Zechariah respond? What consequence follows his response? [08:49]
Luke 1:21–25 shows the crowd waiting and Elizabeth’s reaction after conception. What does the crowd’s expectation and Elizabeth’s response reveal about public and private aspects of waiting? [08:49]
Where in this passage do ordinary duties (routine worship, priestly service, prayer) meet the announcement of God’s action? How does the timing of the angel’s visit reshape the scene’s meaning?

Interpretation questions (3-4)

How does the description of "showing up" in everyday duties reframe the theological idea of waiting—does it make waiting an action rather than a pause? [05:18]
What does Zechariah’s loss of voice suggest about the relationship between human doubt and the way God confirms a promise? In what ways might that confirmation teach humility? [08:49]
How does the claim "silence is hiddenness, not abandonment" change the interpretation of long seasons without visible answers? What theological rhythms does that idea encourage in a person's life? [12:20]
If Emmanuel means "God with us" in the unresolved middle, how should that shape priorities and practices during unanswered seasons rather than waiting only for an outcome? [15:13]

Application questions (4-7)

Identify one specific thing you are waiting for now (a job, a relationship, health, a child, reconciliation, a decision). What is one concrete "next right thing" you will do this week to remain present in ordinary life while you wait? [05:18]
Name one daily routine or faithful practice that could become a "runway for revelation" if kept faithfully (e.g., Sabbath, volunteering, consistent prayer, keeping a boundary). How will you protect and prioritize that routine this week? [08:49]
Think of a past season when God felt silent. What evidence now suggests God was at work beneath the surface? What one habit will you adopt to help you hold to the trust that silence can be hiddenness? [12:20]
When fear or doubt tempts you to announce or demand an answer prematurely, what humility-practice could you use instead (journaling, confessing to a friend, fasting, waiting with scripture)? Set a measurable step to try in the next seven days. [08:49]
If Emmanuel is present in the unresolved middle, what compassionate words does your heart need to hear from God today? How will you intentionally receive that presence (listening prayer, a short liturgy, a Scripture to memorize) this week? [15:13]
Who in the group could you ask to keep you accountable to "keep showing up" in one ordinary discipline for the next month (work, care for a family member, therapy, serving)? Agree on one check-in method and time. [05:18]

Sermon Clips

but i want you to think about this their waiting wasn't passive and in the scriptures the waiting is rarely passive zechariah and elizabeth they they didn't stop living their righteous lives they didn't stop serving in the temple they didn't grow bitter or cynical they kept showing up they kept being faithful they kept their religious commitments even when god seemed silent and that's the kind ofwaiting that the advent season asks of us [00:05:58] (37 seconds) #ActiveWaitingNotPassive

and so the story of zechariah and elizabeth it teaches us that god god often breaks into our stories not in thedramatic moments that we've orchestrated for divine intervention but during the mundane performance the faithful duties of our everyday responsibilities zechariah was just doing his duty he just showed up for his shift and you know the rest of the shift and you know the rest of the story everything changed for him in that moment [00:08:38] (37 seconds) #OrdinaryDutyExtraordinaryChange

but what we found out is that the prayer that had been prayed for so long perhaps with so many tears the prayer had been heard the long wait was over and theimpossible was becoming possible god was breaking into their story with the extraordinary news that this son would be born and it broke through in the middle of a completely ordinary day [00:10:25] (27 seconds) #LongPrayersAnswered

and all of them all of us all of them were waiting in the dark not knowing how close the dawn actually was because they couldn't see it yet we can never see it yeteven though god was on the move god is working behind the scenes we can't see it but the silence was about to break the waiting was about to become worth it in ways that they couldn't have even imagined why because messiah was coming not with an army but as a little baby not to conquer rome but to conquer death [00:12:02] (47 seconds) #HopeBehindTheScenes

and so the waiting wasn't wasted the silence wasn't absence god was working in the hidden places in the cracks behind the scenes he was working in the hill country of judea god was working in the faithful routines of this very ordinary priest god was working in the barren womb of a righteous woman god was working in the mundane moments when people just showed up anddid the next right thing [00:12:59] (31 seconds) #GodWorksInTheCracks

so what are you waiting for if you're waiting today maybe you're in your own hill country carrying the weight of unanswered hopes and prayers and if in your normal routines maybe it's you know nine months or nine years or 90 years into your unbearable waiting i want to remind you of one of the names of god that we learned during the christmas story and the name is thisemmanuel which means what god with us [00:13:31] (38 seconds) #EmmanuelMeansGodWithUs

and it's not the not god who shows up only when the waiting is over not god who arrives only at the resolution but god with us in the waiting itself god with us in those months of silence god with us in the daily discipline of just showing up god with us in the tender acheof hope deferred god with us when we can't find words and when we doubt the promise and we wonder if we've been completely forgotten you have not been forgotten [00:14:10] (42 seconds) #EmmanuelInTheWaiting

so the story this sweet tender little story of zechariah and elizabeth teaches us thisthat god is faithful even when we struggle to believe and that god's timing is rarely our timingzechariah and elizabeth their weight was long but it was not empty and neither is yours so my friendskeep showing up keep being faithful could keep doing the next right thing keep your heart open to the possibility that god might just very well break into your ordinary tuesday with extraordinary news because god's emmanuel god with us is with you even in your waiting place [00:14:55] (50 seconds) #FaithfulInTheWaiting

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