After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people." — Luke 1:24-25

Yesterday's devotional was a great setup for today's realization. Elizabeth and Zechariah are pregnant. After decades of waiting and years of prayer, the angel Gabriel appears and tells them God will give them a child. But not any child. The boy who would become a prophet named John that would prepare the way for the Lord.

But notice that Elizabeth conceals the news. And the question I have is why? Why does she do this? Is it because she doubts? Is it because she is concerned that the child wouldn't make it full term? Or could the best answer be that she is bursting with such joy inside her soul that in that same way that God waited a long time to tell her, she was going to wait a long time to tell the world? And I think we know the answer. So for five months, you want to know what Elizabeth did? In hiding, she praised God for lifting her out of the shame of barrenness by giving her a chosen son until that day she exposed her belly to the world. Bursting joy!

You know, as men, we too are prone to hide. But unfortunately, we hide the thing that shouldn't be hidden — our sin. We hide it because of the shame we have about our sin. But hiding sin only gives shame more control over our lives, resulting in more devious hiding. This only ends on the day that we discover that God removes not only our sin but the shame that conjoins with our sin. God removes them both so that we can come out from hiding into soul-bursting joy. So instead of hiding behind sin and shame, why not come out today and burst with joy. Because brother, if you are a child of God, you are no longer a reproach. You are a redeemed man chosen by God for his purpose. Exclaim with soul-bursting joy that you were a sinner, but now you are a son of the living God.

ASK THIS: What shame do you need to let go today? (Share below if you dare.)

DO THIS: Sing a song with soul-bursting joy. Try the one below.

PRAY THIS: God, you give me hope, healing, and great joy.

PLAY THIS: for King & Country — Joy.

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