Attitude of Righteousness

Scripture: Luke 1:17

"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Insights:  Today and tomorrow we get to see the hope in light of the dismal portrayal of society we have painted over the past few days.  Verse seventeen is the angels proclamation to Zechariah about his son John the Baptist.  The angel is telling him that his son is going to be the forerunner to Jesus and his primary task is to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival.  Specifically, his job is going to be to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and to demolish the disobedient heart and turn it into a heart with an attitude of righteousness.  Here is where the hope gets placed on the canvas.  In his own power, John the Baptist would have been incapable of carrying this mission out.  The angel, however, told Zechariah that his son would walk in the spirit and power of Elijah.  So, to what kind of spirit and power did Elijah have access?  The same one in which we have access.  The difference, however, is the Spirit and power of God wound come on Elijah for a time and then would depart from him.  We on the other hand ALWAYS have access to the Spirit and power of God because He lives IN us if we are born again.  When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God came into our lives and sealed us for the day of redemption.  He lives inside of us! Because He lives in us we have the source and power to live our lives in an attitude of righteousness.  No longer do we have to live subject to disobedience. We can daily, hourly, moment by moment ask the Spirit of God to give us the ability to be godly fathers to our child(ren).  Tomorrow we are going to look a little deeper at Elijah and one aspect of his life, but it reflects to us our primary tool we have as fathers for our child(ren).  Make certain you come back tomorrow for the final component of our hope in raising godly children which will change society and the next generation.

Questions:

1. Are you living life under the surrendered power of the Lord Jesus?
2. Does your life reflect the attitude of righteousness about which the angel spoke?

Prayer: Father, I realize that the only way I am capable of being the type of godly father You desire me to be is through Your power.  Let Your Spirit have complete rule and reign in my life and allow me to walk in obedience to You as I raise my child(ren) to know You.  Amen.