Consider this

              In Luke 1, we are introduced to a priest named Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth.   It says that “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” (verses 6-7).   That last part about them not having a child is significant.   That was a big deal back then.             One day when Zachariah was serving at the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared and said, “Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John” (verse 13).               The part that I find interesting here is that Gabriel says, “Your prayer has been heard”.   When was that prayer prayed?     There are only two options and both of them having something to teach us.               It could be that they were still praying for a child even though they were well past the normal child-bearing

            I grew up going to stock car races in Moose Jaw, so you can imagine how happy I was, about thirteen years ago, to hear that Estevan was getting a new dirt track.   In fact, I was one of the first people in the grandstands on the first night and I have missed very few races since then.   I have sat in those grandstands in the heat, through torrential downpours and I have frozen out there more times than I care to remember, but it was always fun!             All through those years, I used to think “It would be fun to volunteer out here”, but I never did.   I did not know anyone and I was not sure if I would be welcome, so I did not do anything about it.             This past winter, the speedway president was talking to my wife.   She knew that I enjoyed the races, so she said, “Do you think Tim would like to help us out there?”   Sara said, “Oh, I am sure he would.   Why don’t you call him?”   Within minutes I received a call, an invitation and I signed up.   And g

            It seemed simple enough.   God’s people were in the wilderness.   They needed water and God gave Moses a solution; “Gather the people and speak to the rock and before their eyes it will pour out its water” (Numbers 20:8).   Now that seems a little strange, but it had worked before (see Exodus 17:1-7), so Moses gathered the people.   Unfortunately, this is where everything falls apart.             Moses is tired!   He has been leading these people for forty years and all they have done is complain and gripe about everything.   In fact, we are told that earlier that day “the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.   They quarreled with Moses and said… ‘Why did you bring us to this terrible place?   It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates.   And there is no water to drink!’” (Numbers 20:2-5)             Forty years of frustration boiled over and Moses turned to the people and yelled, “You people are always complaining. Now listen to me. I w