That we might serve Him without fear

“That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” - Luke 1v74-75

Zacharias was John the Baptist’s father. His first words after John’s birth we are prophecy of the future, particularly to Israel, but with implications for us all. He spoke as he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

My heart is challenged by Zacharias’ words about serving the Lord. He asked that we would serve the Lord:

• Without fear
• In holiness
• In righteousness
• Before Him
• All the days of our lives

Perhaps each of these deserves a message of its own, but my heart was challenged with the words “without fear,” and, “all the days of our lives.” Serving God can be a scary and daunting task. It can be tiresome and wearying. It is only by His grace that we can serve Him without fear. When we realise the immensity of the task it is scary. There is no way that mere humans can carry out a divine task. We like Zacharias need to depend on God to deliver us from fear.

How long does our service last? Is there a retirement age? No. May we serve the Lord all the days of our lives – all of them.