The Dawn will visit us from on high... Luke 1:78 Berean Study Bible
Today visualize the light of Christ piercing your darkness.  It’s why He has come.

Zechariah called him the Dawn who would visit us from on high. 

That language is part of his prophetic praise found in Luke 1:68-80.

To review the account of Zechariah in full, and his part in the birth story of Jesus, read Luke 1:5-25 and verses 57-80. 

Part of this account is that Zechariah was muted for 9 months during the miraculous pregnancy of Elizabeth.  This happened because he didn’t believe in the angel Gabriel’s message of a promised son as answer to his prayers. 

Consider... How many of us are muted in some way because we refuse to believe in promises of God, in the miracle working power of God? 

Is your faith bigger than your limitations?  Are you believing in the whispers of His holy Word?

We know that Zechariah didn’t stay muted.  After John the Baptist was born, Zechariah’s tongue was set free, and he began to speak praising God. 

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied about the One coming who would redeem his people in order to forgive, set free, rescue, remember His holy covenant, enable God’s people to serve him without fear.  He prophesied how Zechariah's son John, would prepare the way for the Most High.

And here is how his prophesy ends…

Luke 1:78-79 ...Because of our God’s deep compassion,
    the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
     to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
        to guide us on the path of peace.”

In the Berean translation, Jesus is the Dawn with a capital D.  Other translations say “day spring”, the Sunrise with a capital “S”, the morning light. Christ confirmed these truths by boldly proclaiming that yes, He was the light of the world, John 8:12.  

John 1:4-5 says that "in him was life and that life was the light of ALL of mankind.  The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."  John 1:9 says Christ is the true light that gives light to all men and he was coming into the world.

To give light to those sitting in darkness... Where are you sitting in darkness?

Darkness in both verses from John 1 and Luke 1 is shadiness, obscurity, blindness, ignorance of divine things, ungodliness, immorality, a spiritual state where darkness becomes visible and holds sway.

Are you blinded by unbelief?  Is your faith muted because of unbelief?  What is the last step of faith you took beyond your own ability and resources?  Is your vision shrouded by confusion, despair, hopelessness?  What is the darkness you are dwelling in, sitting in today?  

Because of his deep compassion, the Dawn from Heaven breaks upon you, to give you light, to guide you in a path of peace.

Let’s pray.  Christ our true light, the Dawn who came to visit us from on high, pierce this one’s darkness with your marvelous light.  Lord, because of your tender mercy, flood their heart with light from on high.  

(Pause- By faith, see His light flooding your heart and mind.)  

Pray, "grant me vision Jesus." 

"Give light to my eyes.  I admit ignorance about divine things.  Pierce my darkness.  Give light to my darkness.  Rescue me from the shadow of death, thoughts that are hopeless, choices that are dead ends, feelings that snuff out life and faith.  Forgive my unbelief.  Cleanse me of ungodly thoughts and ways.  Purify me with your light.  Guide my feet into your path of peace."

Now take a few minutes and still yourself in His presence.  See the Dawn from on high coming from on high, His light surrounding you like a shield, lighting a pathway of peace before you.  Rest in his holy light.

This season give thanks for the Dawn who descended from on high.  Do not be silent.  Speak about Him.  Take steps of faith believing His life is your guiding light in the darkness.

And pray for someone you love or know that needs Christ's light to pierce their darkness.  Ask Jesus to surround them with His holy light.  Take the time to envision His light descending and giving light to their darkness, guiding them into the way of peace.

Did you enjoy this reflection?  If so, take a listen to more Advent reflections on our podcast that began on December 1st.  Visit the podcast tab to listen or find PEACE BE STILL DAILY PRAYER DOWNLOAD on your podcast provider!

Immanuel.  With us is God.

​What is the last thing the LORD brought to mind that He wanted to talk to you about, address, or call you to surrender?

If you don't have an answer for that, it should give you pause.  It should challenge you to press in for a touchpoint with Immanuel.

God with us.  With us is God.

The little babe in a manger, Jesus.  Our radical warrior King.  He grew up to go there, to the darkest places, to endure the greatest suffering ever known, to pour out His life unto death.  To have victory in every area and impart that victory to you.

He grew up to go there with you, to your darkest places, to be with you in your suffering, to pour His life into your dead places.  Immanuel, God with us, addressing what we tend to gloss over or dismiss.  The loneliness.  The mourning.  The past.  The pain.  The vices.  Our selfish motives.  Our lukewarm faith.   Unbelief.  

He prompted me to a scripture the other day that made me consider a motive, a destructive pattern of thinking.  He's catching me before I make a decision about something.  He's wanting me to see the danger before I follow my destructive thinking which involves a lack of trust in Him.  He's fulfilling His promise to not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear.  I wasn't really awakened to it before He took me to a scripture, and as I began meditating on it, what was hidden from my view came to light.  I made the connection on what He was addressing.  I saw that He's providing a way out, so that I can endure the temptation and choose His way, not my own.  

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)- 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Do you let God alert you to blind spots in yourself?  Do you let others be messengers of those type of blind spots?  

Immanuel.  God with us, in us, to be in the trenches to rescue and deliver us. 

Are we with Him?

"Okay God, you can be with me, just not too close."

And that is where many of us are stuck.

But good news is that is where many of us have huge opportunities for breakthrough!

When you open up and let the LORD start to touch those untouchable places, those areas locked up and under-wrap, miracles can happen. You can experience real breakthrough, the freedom He promises!

But often we hold back.  We avoid.  We dismiss.  We just keep going along as we always have because we are comfortable with our ways.  When the little whispers, prompts, or convictions come, often we pretend we didn't hear God.  We quickly move on and become busy with something and dismiss acknowledging what Immanuel is addressing.

Welcome to the danger zone.  This is where pride and unbelief and willful ways keep Him out.

He's still with us, but we aren't with Him.

People wonder where God is, when really they've been keeping Him distant, busy putting up walls and mastering avoidance tactics.

So He gets increasingly silent.  He's willing to take the backseat until we press in.  It's sad; but often desperation is our greatest motivator for a renewed prayer life.

We are stubborn.  We like status quo.  "Let's not rock the boat.  I'm good.  Things are manageable."

Yet it's a lie.  The truth is lots of us have faith that is stagnant.  Lots of us have relationships with others that haven't really grown much, despite our call to love more deeply.  We've hit barriers; and one or the other (or both) have shut down in our human relationships.  And we become okay with that, it is a new normal.   

There is this unspoken agreement we make.  "I won't challenge them, so that they don't challenge me." Or "I don't want them upset with me, so I will remain quiet." Or "I don't like to deal with hard things, so I'll stuff my feelings".  Or "I've done nothing wrong, they need to deal with it." Or "I'll tell myself this story, and believe it to settle it in my mind so I don't have to wrestle with the fact that I am part of the problem."  Or "Relationships are too much work and I'm fine with just me and God." 

And here is a big piece that is missing in our prayer lives and faith walks.  We need to hear from God to know what the truth really is, about ourselves, about how we are to respond to others. 

God saw this barrier in our broken natures.  He crossed the barrier of time and space and sin.  The Word of God became flesh and dwelt here on earth among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, full of grace and truth.- John 1:14.

Consider today- Are you hearing from God?  Are you willing to let Him examine what's happening within?  Are you willing to reflect on relationships and be vulnerable, to press for in for deeper connection with God and others?  Are you taking risks for closer fellowship, especially in conflict?  

I feel something awakening in me to be more vulnerable.  To not pretend things are okay.  To address my former words and behaviors that hurt others.  To let friends know if I've been hurt and challenge them to go deeper with me. 

I want to risk, because freedom and joy are on the other side. I trust God to weed relationships out, or cause relationships to flourish.  I want to live in His power, not my own!  How about you?

As we get ready to enter a new year, what are your relationship goals?  Not where do you want to excel in career or fitness or finances or health or travel or personal goals, but where do you want to win in relationships? 

Start with Jesus.  

Immanuel.  You are with the downcast Lord.  You are with the broken.  You are with the lonely.  You are with the poor in Spirit.  You are with those in bondages of their own making.  You set free.  You repair.  You awaken.  You raise the dead.  You bless.  You heal.  You make all things new.

"Be with me God.  Be with me to take risks that lead to freedom.  Help me open up and let you in.  Open my eyes to see, my ears to hear.  Help me surrender.  Help me invest in the relationships and people you place in my path.  Help me be vulnerable and love courageously.  Transform me, Word of God!"