Zechariah 2:5-7 - For
the Lord himself will be a wall of fire protecting them and all Jerusalem; he
will be the glory of the city. “Come, flee from the land of the
north, from Babylon,” says the Lord to all his exiles there; “I scattered you
to the winds, but I will bring you back again. Escape, escape to Zion now!”
says the Lord.
Zechariah was in the midst of a great vision from God. He had seen all kinds of prophetic things…from
horse to riders…to animal horns and blacksmiths. God had even given him an
angel to explain what had seen. God was
telling him to encourage the people who had built a life for themselves in
Babylon to go home. He wanted them to
know that wherever he sent them he would be their wall of protection… for them
to step out on faith and let go of all that he had allowed to make them comfortable…for
many of them had required great wealth while they were there….and trust God to
make it even better when they returned to the land he had promised Jacob so
long ago.
This message is so personal for me this morning…I sit with so
many tears of thanks and joy and bittersweet tears of great memories that I am
having a hard time seeing the keys to type. I have prayed for so long for some
kind of confirmation that God really is allowing me to retire and move back home…that
moving was not just some dream of my own.
Then I read this last night…and that quiet whisper in my ear said … “here
you go….just trust me.”
It’s hard for me because God has not shown me even a glimpse
at why I get to do this. I can
conjecture to the moon and back on my own…but I want to do this one right…and
wait on his door to open…to be so sure that this is the new season that God is
calling me to. It will be a complete
step on faith to let go of a well paying job…to downsize my known income two
thirds less than I am accustomed to. He hasn’t revealed the right house for me
to live in…and has only hinted at what part time jobs he may ask me to do when
I get there.
I guess that is how the disciples felt when they were called
from their fishing jobs. The story in Matthew 4 says that he saw them….told
them to follow him…and become fishers of men.
He gave them no other directions….did not reveal how they would provide
for themselves at all. But they just dropped their nets and went with him.
I have read that verse about faith in Hebrews 11:1 many
times. It says…. “Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The conviction part hit me last night…and is
confirmed as I write this morning. I am as sure of this as I am the love God has
shown to me since I was born.
Father…thank you for the confirmation that you gave me a
promise a few years back that is finally coming to pass. Forgive me for all the whining I have done and
letting the doubts that satan planted become a stumbling block to getting ready
for the task you have planned or me. Give me a new strength and courage to
begin my preparations to move. Show me
exactly what to tack with me…and what to do with it when I get there. Amen.
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