Faithful

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." (Luke 1:57-60 NIV)

Elizabeth was excited to be blessed by God with a child, even in her old age. When she had the baby, it was really time to celebrate. They did. As per their custom, the child was given his name at the circumcision ceremony. Clearly Elizabeth had communicated with Zechariah about the name, even though he couldn't talk this entire time. The angel had directed them, so they would be faithful to the call. They would call the boy, "John."

They said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who has that name." Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." (Luke 1:61-63 NIV)

I don't know about you, but I enjoy being married to someone who knows me well. When Traci says, "Pete had mentioned...," that means I mentioned it. She knows what I've said, what I've thought, and what I've done. I know the same about her. We have real limitations in our humanity, but in our relationship we desire to be one as God has designed husband and wife to be one.

Zechariah and Elizabeth clearly cared about this as well. They were considered "righteous in the sight of God" (Luke 1:6). This means that they were one in their marriage. They did not lie to one another. They both desired to walk together with God. It was important, then, for Zechariah to tell Elizabeth all about his encounter with the angel. They were on the same page in this: God's page. It didn't matter what traditions were being broken. It didn't matter what peer pressure was being exerted. They were going to walk together with God. They were going to name him John.

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. (Luke 1:64-65 NIV)

Because of their faithfulness, John was born and named as God instructed. Because of their faithfulness, Zechariah was the object of God's miraculous sign. Because of their faithfulness, their child would pave the way for the savior of the world. God was working in and through them both. They were a team: God's team.

How about you? Are you faithful to God regardless of the traditions that have come before you? Are you faithful to God no matter how much peer pressure works against you? Are you faithful to God so that God will work through you? Are you a part of God's team?