Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Luke 1:24-25

Something impossible happened to Elizabeth. At an old age she conceived and bore a son. Both she and her husband, Zacharias have exhausted all their human strength and means to have a child until she saw God’s strength in her weakness. God however remembered them and blessed them with John.

Luke told us that Elizabeth hid herself away for five months when she was expecting John. Why did she do it? Most likely Elizabeth couldn't believe the good news that she is finally becoming a mother, but she was too afraid to go public with her story. So she decided to hide until the little bump showed on her belly. 

Elizabeth testified how God “dealt” with her by turning her barrenness to fruitfulness. The Greek word for “dealt” is poieō which means “to fashion, to shape, to create”. God “works'' Elizabeth on the inside before it shows on the outside. By doing so, God freed Elizabeth from any further reproach. The Greek meaning for “reproach” is disgrace. It is rather interesting that God gave Elizabeth a son whose name means grace so as to free her from disgrace.

You can see the gospel here. 

God made you a new creation in Christ to make you alive and fruitful.  It is through Christ that God turns our life's tragedies into victories of His grace and our deepest trials into the utmost triumphs of His love. More often than not, it is during those times of disappointment and defeat that brings a greater clarity of who God is to us and who we are to Him. And if we are to hold fast to the gospel and not be ashamed of it, we will see again and again the power of God to fulfil whatever He intends.

Allow God to shape you according to His purpose through the promise and provision of His Word. He who calls you is faithful and He will surely do it.