Have you ever had someone tell you to do something one way, but you knew it should be done a different way—the way you’d been told by someone you trusted? Did you have the courage to say so?

Elizabeth was in that exact situation. When her baby boy was born, everyone assumed he’d be named after his father, Zacharias. That was the custom (which means that’s how it was always done). Elizabeth’s friends and family all expected it! But Elizabeth knew it should be done a different way. She said, “No. His name is John.”

But how did she know he was supposed to be called John? Well, before Elizabeth got pregnant, an angel had appeared to her husband Zacharias and told him their son’s name would be John. Because Zacharias doubted the angel’s words, he was made unable to speak until the baby was born. But during those nine months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Zacharias had somehow communicated what the angel said. And Elizabeth believed it. She took it seriously.

When the moment came to decide (when everyone around her expected her to go along with tradition), Elizabeth stayed loyal to God’s instructions. She didn’t give in just because it was easier or because everyone expected something different. Loyalty means sticking to what’s right even when it’s unpopular or difficult. And loyalty to God always comes first, even when it means doing something others don’t understand!

Think About It: Is there a situation in your life where you feel pressure to go along with what everyone else is doing, even though you feel like it might not be what God wants? What would it look like to be loyal to God in that situation? Ask Him to give you the courage to stay loyal, just like Elizabeth did!