Zechariah 8:4-7 - The Lord Almighty
declares that Jerusalem will have peace and prosperity so long that there will
once again be aged men and women hobbling through her streets on canes, and
the streets will be filled with boys and girls at play. The Lord says, “This seems
unbelievable to you—a remnant, small, discouraged as you are—but it is no great
thing for me. You can be sure that I will rescue my people
from east and west, wherever they are scattered.
Zechariah was privileged to share with the small group of Jews
that had moved back to Jerusalem the great message of hope for their future.
They had become discouraged….and saw their small numbers as even more of a
barrier to doing what God had asked them to do. Embedded in these verses is the
great truth that no problem is too big for God.
Several Bible writers repeat Zachariah’s message. Ephesians
3:20 says, “Unto Him that is able He is to do exceedingly abundantly above all
that we can ask or think.” Jesus even
let John record his words when he ascended to prepare a place for all of us in
heaven. He said in John 14:27… “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to
you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.”
One of the keys to
actually believing these great words…which I admit is hard when you are smack
in the middle of a storm… is placing the words of Paul from Romans 8:37-38 deep
within our hearts. It says… “ No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
Feel defeated and you will be defeated…in everything
you try to accomplish. Feel the power of
God behind you…and you will succeed at everything that is within the will of
God for your life. If you have truly used Gods power and you don’t succeed…he
is trying to teach you patience and faith…or you were not in his will to begin
with.
It’s like my search for a house back home
where I feel God is going to start another job for Him after I retire from
teaching this spring. I have found four
houses that feel like the right one…and made offers …but each one fell through for
some reason. I feel strongly in my heart
that they were not the house he meant for me because I prayed for God to mess
up any deal that was not the right one. I admit I was discouraged a bit after
the last deal fell through…but now I am confident that the timing is just not
right…God needs to teach me something else as the time gets closer to the move.
Father...thank you for the reminder that no
problem is too big for you to handle. Thank
you for the confirmation that you are the biggest thing that exists in my world…and
I need to trust in you alone for everything I need. Forgive me for ever
doubting the promises that you have made to me.
Help me to meditate on the verse you gave me so long ago in Jeremiah
29:11 that says… “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They
are plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope for your
future.” Amen.
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