December 19, 2025 // Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 1:5-25
Reflect on the Word //
When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I expected daily medication to improve it. Instead, it slowly turned into the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's. I tried to do everything right, but I still gained weight, felt chronically fatigued, and battled brain fog and inflammation. For years, I prayed for healing and relief, and wondered why God didn’t answer my prayers. In the waiting, however, I slowly accepted the cross God asked me to bear. It wasn’t easy, but the longer I waited, the closer I felt to the Lord.
During Advent, God invites us to actively contemplate waiting for the coming of His Son, Jesus. The darkness of night, illuminated by candlelight from the Advent wreath, recalls the Jewish people’s long anticipation of the Messiah. In all of their stories, everything that happened in the midst of waiting, pointed toward the Savior. Today’s Gospel Reading is no different.
Zechariah and Elizabeth “were righteous in the eyes of God” (Luke 1:6), yet God still sent them a burdensome cross. Like me, when answers to their prayers didn’t come, they must have wondered why. But notice the angel Gabriel’s first words to Zechariah: “Do not be afraid [. . .] because your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13). God heard their pleas, saw their tears, and, in time, answered their prayers in a way they never could have imagined. And all the while, they remained close to Him. Yes, Elizabeth’s long barrenness and the couple’s subsequent suffering were part of God’s unfolding plan of salvation—just as her miraculous pregnancy was too.
Their story gives us comfort in the midst of our own struggles. God doesn’t ask us to ignore our sufferings but to bring them to Him in prayer, trusting that He will answer us in His time, beyond our imagination. “And you will have joy and gladness” (Luke 1:14). This is Advent hope! That in the waiting, we may remain close to God and see how everything that happens in the meantime leads to Him, Who is the greatest answer to every prayer.
Relate to the Lord // Share your sufferings with Jesus today and renew your trust in Him to answer you in His perfect timing.
Sarah Damm is the blog manager and a writer for Blessed Is She. She also is a frequent contributor to other faith-based platforms. Residing in Minnesota with her husband and six children, Sarah was a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, until she returned to the workforce in 2023. Sarah enjoys attending her kids' volleyball, football, basketball, or baseball games (depending on the season). She loves her faith, coffee, walks with her husband, and good books. Read Sarah's posts here. You can find out more about her here.
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