December 01, 2010
The prophet Zechariah continues to talk to the people who have returned from 70 years in exile. For 70 years they carried on the "tradition" of fasting and mourning in the 5th and 7th months. Now they are asking Zechariah if they should continue doing so. God replies—What you were doing wasn't for me, it was for yourself! I don't want "tradition." I don't want the "appearance" of good! Why didn't you do what the prophets I sent you told you to do? This is what I want you to do. Zechariah 7:8-10 - "Do what is right and true; be kind and merciful to each other. Don't hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; don't even think of doing evil to somebody else."
Zechariah 7:11-13 - "But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn and did not want to listen anymore. They made their hearts as hard as rock and would not listen to the teachings of the LORD All-Powerful. And they would not hear the words he sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So, the LORD All-Powerful became very angry. When I called to them, they would not listen. So when they called to me, I would not listen."
BUT! When you choose to obey His teachings, the LORD is faithful. Zechariah 8:6-15 - "It is not to difficult for me... I will save my people... I will bring them back... they will live... they will be my people... I will be their good and loyal God... work hard... I will save you, you will become a blessing. So don't be afraid; work hard... I am planning to do good... so don't be afraid."
I have 5/20/08 written beside this passage of God's promises. I also have Jeremiah 29:11 written beside it. What jumps out at me today is Zechariah 8:13 - "...but I will save you, and you will become a blessing. So don't be afraid; work hard." I love the fact that it is forward looking and reaching out, and not past tense and closed in. It doesn't say you are blessed or will be blessed. It says you will become a blessing!! That is my prayer. Use me LORD, however You wish. Make my life a blessing to You and those around me. Enlarge my territory.
Zechariah 8:16-17 - "These are the things you should do: Tell each other the truth. In the courts judge with truth and complete fairness. Do not make plans to hurt your neighbors, and don't love false promises. I hate all these things", says the LORD.
Psalm 140:2 - "...who devise evil plans in their heart..."
Zechariah 8:17 - "...let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor... these are things I hate." (KJV)
Zechariah 8:19 - "But you must love truth and peace."
Addendum: 8/26/14 ~ "People from one city will go and say to those from another city, 'We are going to pray to the LORD and to ask the LORD All-Powerful for help. Come and go with us.' Many people and powerful nations will come to worship the LORD All-Powerful in Jerusalem and to pray to the LORD for help." This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "At that time, ten men from different countries will come and take hold of a Judean by his coat. They will say to him, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' " Zechariah 8:21-23
Oh Lord, may it be so. May we be that kind of light and witness for you. Enlarge our territory. May YOU receive ALL the honor and glory for the things YOU have done.
11/20/14 ~ When I first wrote this on December 01, 2010, and then added my addendum thoughts and prayers on August 26, 2014, I could have never imagined even in my wildest dreams what God would reveal to me just a few short months later. Why does the Hand of God continue to surprise me?
My prayer was, "Here I am Lord. I am available, ready, and wanting to be used. Lord, may it be so." Why then am I SO shocked when God begins to reveal those plans to me? The answer is obvious. We (as humans) cannot even begin to fathom the magnitude of who God is. We have Him in a box within the comprehension of our human minds and our human minds are so small and limited. Never-in-a-million-years could I have foreseen what God had in store for my life.
The "book" is already written, and I didn't even know it. Very soon the story of Jane (Her Name Was Jane) can and will be told. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
See:
LORD – What Am I to Do?
The LORD Answers!
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!
Next Entry: Zechariah 9:1 – 14:21
The prophet Zechariah continues to talk to the people who have returned from 70 years in exile. For 70 years they carried on the "tradition" of fasting and mourning in the 5th and 7th months. Now they are asking Zechariah if they should continue doing so. God replies—What you were doing wasn't for me, it was for yourself! I don't want "tradition." I don't want the "appearance" of good! Why didn't you do what the prophets I sent you told you to do? This is what I want you to do. Zechariah 7:8-10 - "Do what is right and true; be kind and merciful to each other. Don't hurt widows and orphans, foreigners or the poor; don't even think of doing evil to somebody else."
Zechariah 7:11-13 - "But they refused to pay attention; they were stubborn and did not want to listen anymore. They made their hearts as hard as rock and would not listen to the teachings of the LORD All-Powerful. And they would not hear the words he sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So, the LORD All-Powerful became very angry. When I called to them, they would not listen. So when they called to me, I would not listen."
BUT! When you choose to obey His teachings, the LORD is faithful. Zechariah 8:6-15 - "It is not to difficult for me... I will save my people... I will bring them back... they will live... they will be my people... I will be their good and loyal God... work hard... I will save you, you will become a blessing. So don't be afraid; work hard... I am planning to do good... so don't be afraid."
I have 5/20/08 written beside this passage of God's promises. I also have Jeremiah 29:11 written beside it. What jumps out at me today is Zechariah 8:13 - "...but I will save you, and you will become a blessing. So don't be afraid; work hard." I love the fact that it is forward looking and reaching out, and not past tense and closed in. It doesn't say you are blessed or will be blessed. It says you will become a blessing!! That is my prayer. Use me LORD, however You wish. Make my life a blessing to You and those around me. Enlarge my territory.
Zechariah 8:16-17 - "These are the things you should do: Tell each other the truth. In the courts judge with truth and complete fairness. Do not make plans to hurt your neighbors, and don't love false promises. I hate all these things", says the LORD.
Psalm 140:2 - "...who devise evil plans in their heart..."
Zechariah 8:17 - "...let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor... these are things I hate." (KJV)
Zechariah 8:19 - "But you must love truth and peace."
Addendum: 8/26/14 ~ "People from one city will go and say to those from another city, 'We are going to pray to the LORD and to ask the LORD All-Powerful for help. Come and go with us.' Many people and powerful nations will come to worship the LORD All-Powerful in Jerusalem and to pray to the LORD for help." This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: "At that time, ten men from different countries will come and take hold of a Judean by his coat. They will say to him, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' " Zechariah 8:21-23
Oh Lord, may it be so. May we be that kind of light and witness for you. Enlarge our territory. May YOU receive ALL the honor and glory for the things YOU have done.
11/20/14 ~ When I first wrote this on December 01, 2010, and then added my addendum thoughts and prayers on August 26, 2014, I could have never imagined even in my wildest dreams what God would reveal to me just a few short months later. Why does the Hand of God continue to surprise me?
My prayer was, "Here I am Lord. I am available, ready, and wanting to be used. Lord, may it be so." Why then am I SO shocked when God begins to reveal those plans to me? The answer is obvious. We (as humans) cannot even begin to fathom the magnitude of who God is. We have Him in a box within the comprehension of our human minds and our human minds are so small and limited. Never-in-a-million-years could I have foreseen what God had in store for my life.
The "book" is already written, and I didn't even know it. Very soon the story of Jane (Her Name Was Jane) can and will be told. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
See:
LORD – What Am I to Do?
The LORD Answers!
I Didn't Know—BUT GOD DID!
Next Entry: Zechariah 9:1 – 14:21
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