Ready

Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:6-7 NIV)

Zechariah and Elizabeth were clearly both walking together with God.  They were the ministry team of two, being "righteous in the sight of God."  Even though they were available to God for anything God wanted, they could not have children.  It's good to remember that walking together with God will still have struggles in this world.  Even for us today, we receive the Holy Spirit to help us in this world, but it does not take us out of this world.  When Jesus returns, that is when everything will be set right again.

Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. (Luke 1:8-10 NIV)

Here's a simplified diagram of the temple I found on the internet.  The Holy of Holies was the place where God dwelt.  The Israelites were afraid to encounter God at Mt. Sinai, so they told Moses to be their intermediary.  He would go up on the mountain to talk with God and then come down to tell them what God said.  Moses was living the role of the first prophet.

When they built the first house of God, it was a tent called a tabernacle.  Since they were traveling away from Mt. Sinai, this new tabernacle was the place where Moses and Aaron, the first High Priest, could go meet with God.  God's dwelling place was the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies).

When Israel finally settled in the promised land, they built a building where God would dwell.  This building is called the Temple.  The layout was the same, the Most Holy Place was still there, and the only person who could go into the Most Holy Place was the High Priest.  He went once a year.

Zechariah wasn't a High priest, but he was a priest.  He wasn't going to the Most Holy Place, but he was going to the next closest room: The Holy Place.  It was a frightening thing to encounter God because God only allows Holiness in God's presence.  The priests would purify themselves before going in to be close to God's presence.  Zechariah was about to have an encounter with God.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:11-17 NIV)

Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived lives that were "righteous in the sight of God."  They were walking together with God and ready for anything God called them to do.  They were ready.  God was about to work through them in a powerful way.

How about you?  Do you walk together with God?  Are you ready for anything God calls you to do?  Are you ready?