185th Week, Zechariah Chapters 5-9 (Click on Title for Video Intro)

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Click on Title for Video Introduction


Monday, Zechariah Chapter 5
Zechariah 5
Verse 1
Delores Little

Verse 1:  I looked again--and there before me was a flying scroll!

THOUGHT
The judgment of the flying scroll was leveled against those who violated God’s law, specifically by stealing and lying.  At this time the people had scrolls for reading the Word while we have the written Word of God, The Bible. 

This chapter is really telling God’s people how they had left His Word and were doing their own things.  Does this sound just like what our country is doing?  God’s Word tells us what will happen to the nations that leave Him or put Him last instead of first.  

This chapter discusses judgment, and it is to let us know that it could happen here and most likely will if we don’t make Him first in our lives. That is why we need to know what God’s Word has to say in case it is taken from us someday.

PRAYER
Father, we have fallen so short of Your glory, but we thank You for sending Jesus to guide and save us by His grace and mercy for us all. Help us always to keep Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our lives, and His Word hidden in our hearts.  AMEN


Tuesday, Zechariah Chapter 6
Zechariah 6
Verse 15
Jeanie Boldt

Verse l5: Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God.

THOUGHT
Some of God’s promises are conditional. We must obey Him to receive them. The rebuilding of the temple required careful obedience. God would protect the people as long as they obeyed. Casual or occasional obedience, the result of a halfhearted or divided commitment, would not lead to blessing. Many of God’s blessings come to us as a result of diligent obedience.  Inconsistent obedience can’t produce consistent blessing.

God is not an easy Father. When He gives us an order or tells us to do it His way, He means it. I can’t help but think of the Ten Commandments when I read this verse. He has given us such a great outline of laws to follow. If we do so, we will be blessed beyond measure. If not, our world will come crashing down.

Our Father tells us to be true to our spouse. If Satan gets in the way, and causes betrayal, we have failed to live as He told us to. Our lives will not be blessed when we fail to follow the rules. Then there is the Happy Ending. When we love our spouse and be true to them with honor and respect, God smiles on us and blesses us.

Simple laws that take hard work daily. We must be in the Word, pray and be still and listen to what the Lord tells us daily.

PRAYER
Father, help us to live by Your Ten Commandments in the best possible way. Give us the Spirit to honor You. Help us to look forward to the blessings You have for us. We wait with expectation. We love You as our Father. AMEN


Wednesday, Zechariah Chapter 7
Zechariah 7
Verse 3
Jeanie Boldt

Verse 3: The people of Bethel asked the priests, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month?”

THOUGHT
While in Babylon, the Jews started a new tradition: fasting on the ninth day of the fifth month to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem. But a remnant was now rebuilding the city and the temple, and the prophets said that an even greater city and temple were yet to come. Should this fast be continued?

There is nothing wrong with traditions that do not involve practices contrary to the Word of God. But it is good to examine these traditions from time to time just to make sure they are meaningful.

Have you ever fasted? And if so, did you do this unto the Lord?  Rory and I took up the challenge from our Lifegate Church for one week. We were all asked to be in reverent communication with our Lord about the direction for our church. Rory and I did it the way that our bodies would remain healthy so that our work could continue. Every time I wanted to partake of a snack, I thought of our commitment to the Lord and the promise we had to each other. I leaned on Him for the will power and strength to obey the challenge. I do believe that when people do this, they cannot leave the Lord out. They must keep their eyes on Him and keep Him first most in your heart and mind and soul.

The FAST that God wants us to do is not an annual ceremony but a daily way of life. It means showing compassion and mercy and helping the poor and needy. It means being a Servant with the attitude of Christ. God wants mercy, not sacrifice. The previous generation carried out their tradition but hardened their hearts to the Word of God. Are we doing the same thing?

Keep us Loyal to our God and remain faithful to Him.

PRAYER
Father, please instill in us the desire to want You more. May we not just lean on traditions, but may we lean on You and become Your partner in our life. Help us not just to read the Bible and go to church because our parents and our family do. I pray for a genuine desire and love to hunger for Your Word and a daily communication through prayer for our lives. May we LOOK!! May we SEEK!! May we NEVER STOP LOVING YOU!!! AMEN


Thursday, Zechariah Chapter 8
 Zechariah 8
Jeanie Boldt

THOUGHT
Zechariah is still answering the question about the fast, but he uses this opportunity to encourage the Jews in their work. “Do not fear!” is the emphasis of this brief message, and he gave them three promises to encourage them.

God will restore Jerusalem. He looked beyond that present day to the day when the Messiah would come, establish His Kingdom, and make Jerusalem a city of truth and peace. The old would sit safely in the sunny streets, and the children would play without fear. If only we could experience this now. We await the perfect peace.

God will prosper your work. The people had not been faithful to God, so He had withheld His blessing; but now He would prosper their labors, bless them and make them a blessing. Are you living so that you will be one to receive a blessing from our Lord?

God will turn fasting into feasting. In the future kingdom, there will be no need for fasting.  The events of the past will be forgotten in the glory of the worship of the Lord. Jesus came to bring us JOY, not sorrow. Have you asked for the JOY? Are you ready to live it daily with the Lord’s help?

PRAYER
We love You, Father, as our Friend, our Savior and our Leader. How amazing to have all the Best in our GOD, The One Triune God. May the Holy Spirit just fill us so that we can reflect what an amazing Father we have. Thank You for Zechariah showing us even today the Promised One that we can love. Help us never take the knowledge of Jesus for granted. May the Holy Spirit help us keep Jesus first-most in our Heart. AMEN


Friday, Zechariah Chapter 9
Zechariah 9 
Verse 12
Jeanie Boldt

Zechariah closes his book by giving two burdens that focus on the future history of Israel. Chapters 9-11 deal primarily with Christ’s first coming when He presented Himself to His people and was rejected.

Verse 12:  Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope:  even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

THOUGHT
The spread of Alexander’s kingdom helped to prepare the way for the birth of the Lord Jesus. God controls history and uses it to accomplish His purposes. Events in the news today, depressing as they may seem, are all in the hands of God.  Praise Be To Him!!!

God appeals in Verse 12 to the Jews still in Babylon, urging them to return to their people and their land. He promises twice as much blessing to those who will obey Him, so be sure you are in the place of His choosing. At times this is a little hard to want to believe. Right now our world has really been turned upside down. The economy is not good. Sexual immorality is on the rise each day. Christian persecution is being found in all corners of the world. Marriages struggle to remain together.  Crime is becoming more and more violent.  The government is turning away from God rather than to Him for direction.  It is easy to be of the world and not live or work as if you were doing it unto the Lord.  However, as stated in our verse for today, our reward will be so much more than those who refuse to worship the God of Gods and remain faithful to Him.

PRAYER
Father God, help us to remain faithful to You. I pray that we can hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.  Here is your reward – double that of others!!”  Give us continued strength from family and friends and our churches. May we seek the Lord each and every day so that we can remain close to God our Father. Help us to daily renounce the devil and all his evil ways and to ask for the Lord’s shield. We thank You for our jobs, homes, cars and the security of this group. AMEN













Comments

  1. Cathi WoellsMay 8, 2024 at 4:03 PM

    Chapter 6

    I was curious about the four chariots of different colors going out over the world. I learned from my commentary that this chapter is about God’s sovereignty, His control over the world, and the fulfillment of His purposes. It serves as a reminder that God’s plans are beyond human understanding, and we should trust in His wisdom and guidance

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cathi WoellsMay 11, 2024 at 8:25 PM

    Chapter 9

    We read in Chapter 9 that the enemies of Jerusalem will be completely destroyed. Two of those locations we know about today are Syria and Gaza. I used to work with a lady, a Palestinian Muslim from Syria. The Israelis ran them out of Gaza and they fled to Syria and lived in a suburb of Damascus. Al Quaeda bombed their neighborhood completely destroying everything. She had an interesting video of all of that. There is a book, The Pianist of Syria, that tells of this neighborhood, the bombing and the aftermath. I highly recommend this book.

    It is difficult to fathom Syria and Gaza being completely obliterated at some point in time, just like Babylon and Assyria.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Biblical ShakersMay 12, 2024 at 8:53 PM

    Thank You so much for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete

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