“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.” —Luke 1:68
We tend think of visiting as a brief, light- hearted, and pleasant few days of company. But when God comes to visit, He means business. It means He’s seen what’s going on, He’s concerned about His people’s condition, and He’s coming to do something about it.
In Luke 1, Zechariah recognized the day of divine visitation. Jesus’ birth followed on the heels of a 400-year interval of dark, lonely waiting. And as Zechariah’s eyes were opened to see this new visitation approaching, he opened his mouth in thanksgiving and worship.
Today we await one final visitation of Christ, now 2,000 years in coming. (And counting.) But God often delays His visit past the point when people think it’s going to happen. He’s been a long time coming, yes, “but the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness” (2 Peter 3:9). He will visit again, as sure as He visited at Christmas. And we can be worshiping Him for it now, in anticipation of the sure fulfillment of His promise.
Make it Personal
Think of an example where you’re waiting for God’s visitation. How different could this season be if you chose worship over impatience?